13 - Koha online catalog

OCTOBER 12, 2013
THE ARMENIAN
Mirror-Spectator
$ 2.00
V o lume L X XX IV, NO. 13, Issue 4307
The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932
Napoleon’s Armenian
Bodyguard
Commemorated
Farce in
Turkey’s
Courts:
Act Two
DURBAN, France (Armenpress) — On October 3,
the city organized a ceremony dedicated to the
memory of Napoleon Bonaparte’s bodyguard,
Armenian mamluk Roustam Raza.
French-Armenian former warriors and resistants, Durban Mayor Olivier Leguay, representatives of local government, Armenian spiritual
attendants and other guests partook in the ceremonial tribute.
The newly-appointed military attaché of the
Embassy of Armenia in France, Garegin
Margaryan, and representatives of his diplomatic
staff were also present.
Sixth Astronomy
Conference Launched
By Muriel Mirak-Weissbach
Special to the Mirror-Spectator
ISTANBUL — The turmoil that has swept
Turkey since the eruption of protests in
Gezi Park and Taksim Square seems to
have reached the institutions of the judiciary as well. On October 4, the Istanbul court
convened to review the case of Dogan
Akhanli, a German-Turkish author and
human rights activist who had been framed
on charges of membership in a subversive
political organization and participation in
armed robbery and murder.
In 2010, the same Istanbul court had
handed down an acquittal, clearing him of
all charges. Then, the Appeals Court in
Ankara called in Spring 2013 for reversing
the acquittal and reopening the case, so the
Istanbul court had to decide whether to
confirm its earlier ruling or lift the acquittal. That was on July 31, and, as reported in
this newspaper (Armenian Mirror-Spectator
August 6), the judge declared the court
would issue no decision but rather adjourn
to October 4. It issued an international
arrest warrant against Akhanli, who, it must
be stressed, is a German citizen protected
by German law. Now, on October 4, in an
uncanny repeat performance, the court
again adjourned, this time to December 20.
The accused, who monitored the proceedings with friends and associates from
his Cologne home, received the news from
Dr. Michael Charness embraces Dr. Ernest Barsamian as guests look on.
All Eyes on Ernie
Dr. Ernest Barsamian Receives Medal from Armenian
Government, Feted at AUB Gala at Boston University
BOSTON — The life and career of Dr. Ernest Barsamian was celebrated in grand
fashion in September, first with a gala reception at Boston University on
September 21, organized by the New England chapter of the Worldwide Alumni
of the American University of Beirut (AUB), and then, with a special private medaling ceremony on Wednesday, September 25, with Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Eduard Nalbandian and Ambassador to the US Tatul Markarian, at Harvard
University.
During a private reception at the Harvard Office of the University Marshal Jackie
O’Neill, in Harvard Square, Nalbandian awarded Barsamian the Mkhitar Heratsi
medal — the Armenian government’s highest medal in medicine — on behalf of
President Serge Sargisian, and spent some time with Barsamian and O’Neill.
see BARSAMIAN, page 8
his lawyers in Istanbul. His comment was
that the court had “decided not to decide”
but had “decided” to maintain the arrest
see TURKEY, page 4
40th Anniversary Celebration of Philadelphia TCA
Honors Founders Dr. Diran and Koudsi Mikaelian
PHILADELPHIA — Founders of the
Philadelphia chapter of the Tekeyan
Cultural Association (TCA), Dr. Diran
Mikaelian and his wife, Koudsi Mikaelian,
were honored on the occasion of the 40th
anniversary of the chapter’s establishment,
celebrated on Saturday, September 27, in
NEWS IN BRIEF
the Haytayan Hall of Wynnwood’s St.
Sahag St. Mesrob Church.
A capacity audience of members and
friends of the Philadelphia TCA first
enjoyed dinner prepared by the women of
the association.
see TCA, page 16
From left, Antoine Bazarbashian, Yeretsgin Angel Metjian, Fr. Oshagan Gulgulian, Koudsi
Mikaelian, Dr. Diran Mikaelian, Dr. H. Arzoumanian and Mayis Seapan
Edward
Guleserian Dies
BELMONT, Mass. — Edward Nubar
Guleserian of Belmont and Scituate died
on October 7.
He leaves his wife, Nancy (Aghaian);
children Dr. Kristine Guleserian of Dallas
and
Michael
Guleserian of
Cambridge; sister
Mary
Bergoudian and
many nieces and
nephews.
He
was the brother
of the late
W a l t e r
Guleserian.
E d w a r d
Guleserian was Edward Guleserian
the owner and
president of the
Sheraton Commander Hotel, in
Cambridge, where many Armenian government officials and church leaders
have stayed as his guests.
He was a member of Knights of Vartan
Ararat Lodge number 1 and Rotary Club
of Cambridge. He was chosen as the
Man of the Year of St. James Armenian
Church of Watertown.
Funeral service were at St. James
Armenian Church, on Thursday, October
10. Interment was in Mount Auburn
Cemetery, Cambridge.
Arrangements were made by the Aram
Bedrosian Funeral Home, Watertown.
YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Astronomers from
various countries around the world attended the
opening ceremony of the sixth astronomy conference held at the National Academy of Sciences
of Armenia, on October 7.
Chairman of the National Academy of Sciences
Radik Martirosyan, Director of the Byurakan
Observatory
Hayk
Harutyunyan,
UK
Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Aves, CoChairs of the international scientific conference
Areg Mikayelyan (Armenia) and David Sanders
(US), as well as Armenian astronomer Yervand
Terzyan made remarks at the course of the conference titled “Multi-wavelength AGN Surveys
and Studies.”
Several statesmen, ambassadors and renowned
scientists participated in the opening ceremony.
The scientific conference promotes the establishment of ties between young and experienced
astronomers, with 165 scientists from 35 countries of the world participating.
Ruins of Ani Bear
Armenian Stamp
ISTANBUL (Armenpress) — he grandson of
Armenian Genocide architect Jemal Pasha, noted
Turkish writer and journalist, Hasan Cemal,
recently visited Western Armenia (now eastern
Turkey) and shared his impressions of the cities
Kars and Ani in the pages of Agos newspaper.
Speaking of the historical days in Kars, Cemal
tells how the names of historical monuments and
buildings have changed. “We were passing by a
beautiful building. It was an opera house during
the period of Russians, now it is the building of
Tax Inspection. Being a school previously, the
stone building now serves as a building of
Security Department,” said Cemal.
INSIDE
Here’s to
ToastsPage 10
INDEX
Arts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,4
2
S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 3
T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
ARMENIA
News From Armenia
A r men ia , Gr ee ce Si gn
M i l i t a r y C o o p . Pa c t
Y ER EVA N ( A r me n p re ss ) — The c hie f o f t he ge ne r al
s t a f f o f t h e a r m ed f o r c e s o f t h e R e p u b l i c o f
Ar me n ia, M aj. G e n. Yur i Khac hat urov met wi t h t he
c h i e f o f g e n er a l s t a f f o f t h e G r e e k a r m e d f o r c e s ,
Ge n . Mi khail Ko st ara kos in Ye re van o n Se pt e mb e r
2 5 . A t t h e e n d o f t h e n eg ot i a t i o n s , A r m en i a a n d
G r e e c e s i g n e d a c o op e r a t i o n p a c t i n t h e m i l i t a r y
s p he r e f o r 2 0 1 4 .
Fi r st Lady L en ds Voic e
( A n d S o n g ) t o A ra g i l
Y ER EVA N ( A r me n p re ss ) — T he Ar ag i l fu nd, whi c h
p r ov i d e s a s s i s t a n c e t o f a m i l i es d ea l i n g w i t h i n f e r t i l i t y , w i l l n o w s h o w c a s e i t s a c t i v i t i e s w i t h a n e w p r om o t i o n a l s o n g . T h e s o ng P ra y e r b y f i rs t l a d y R i t a
S a r g s i a n , h a s b e e n c h o s en a s i t s a n t h em .
A t a c o n f e r e n c e d e d i c a t e d t o r e p r o du c t i v e m e d i c i n e , S a rg i s i a n s a i d , “ I h o p e t h a t t h i s [ s o n g ] w i l l b e
t h e k i n d s t or k t h a t w i l l b r i n g t h e ch i l d r e n t o f a m i l i e s. ”
B o a rd o f Re g e n t s m e m b e r a n d g y n e c o l o g i s t
Kar in e Po khun t s no t e d t he inc re as e in i nfe r t il e
c o up le s in A r me n ia . Ac c o rdin g to Po khu nt s , 9,00 0
c o u p l es i n A r m e n i a a r e i n n e e d o f a i d . T h e
A r m e n i a n A s s oc i a t i o n o f R ep r o d u c t i v e M e d i c i n e
f o u n d e d t h e A r a g i l t o f u n d t he s e e x p e n s i v e p r o c e d u re s .
A r m en i a M i l i ta r y
D e mo n s tr a t i o ns A i m t o
I mp r es s
A R M AV I R , A r me n i a ( A r m e n p r e s s ) — A r m e n i a
d e m o n s t r a t e d i t s m o de r n w a r f a r e a p p r o a c h e s d u r in g ro ut in e mil it ar y exe rc i se s c all e d “Re ac t i o n2013.”
O p e r a t i ve - t a c t i c m i s s i l e s S C U D a nd 8 K 1 4 - 1 , a n t i ai rc r af t m is si le sys t e ms C 300, “OCA” co mp l e xe s,
“ K r u n k , ” “ B a z e ” a n d o t h e r d r o n e s , r a d i ol o c a t i o n
s y s t e m s a n d w e a p o ns o f A r m e n i a n p ro d u c t i o n w e re
p r e s e n t e d . R e p r e s e n t a t i v es o f t h e A r m en i a n g o v e r n m e n t f o l l o w e d t h e m a s s m i l i t a r y e xe r c i s e s f r o m
a v a n t a g e p o i n t o n t he g r o u n d.
Wr it er s’ Un ion t o E lec t
N ew P r e s i d e n t
YEREVAN (Ar menpress) — The Writers’ Union of
Ar menia will hold a spec ial session on Oc tober 20 to
elec t a new president for t he union. Writer s’ Union
Ac t ing President Eduard Militonyan announced t he
elec t io n dur ing a recent press conferenc e.
Acc ording to t he organ izat ion, t he most impor t ant
condit ion for elec t ion t he unio n’s presidenc y is membership in t he organization. D iasp ora Ar menians are
elig ible to apply for t he presidenc y, if t hey are c onsidered members of t he Wr it ers’ Union.
The p osit ion has been vacant since t he deat h of t he
for mer President Levon Ananyan on Sept ember 2.
P a rl i a me n t S u p p o r ts
Pr i s on A mn es t y
Y ER EVA N ( R FE/RL) — T he A r men i an p arl iame n t
h a s g i v e n i t s s u p p or t t o a p r e s i d en t i a l p r o p o s a l o n
a n at io n al p r i so n amn e st y. L ast mo n t h, P res i de n t
S e r g e S a r g i s i a n p r o p os e d a n a m n e s t y f o r p r i s o n
i n m a t es t o m a r k t h e 2 2 n d a n n i v er s a r y o f A r m e n i a ’ s
i n d e p e n de n c e , c e l e b r a t e d o n S e p t e m b e r 2 1 .
Jus t i c e Mi n ist e r H rai r Tov mas ian t o ld j o ur n ali st s
o n O c t o b er 3 t h a t 1 , 2 0 0 t o 1 , 3 0 0 i n m a t e s o u t o f
s om e 4 , 6 0 0 i n m a t e s i n t h e c o u n t r y ’ s p e n i t e n t i a r i e s
a n d d et en t i o n c e n t er s w i l l b e a m n es t i e d . S o m e 5 0 0
t o 6 0 0 m en a n d w o m e n w i l l b e r el e a s e d f r o m t h e
c o u n t r y ’ s pe n i t e n t i a r i e s , w h i l e t h e p r i s o n t e r m s o f
o t he r s w i l l b e s h o r t e n e d .
C o n v i c t s w h o c o m m i t t e d c r i m e s b e fo r e
S e pt e m b e r 1 , 2 0 1 3 , a r e e l i g i b l e , n o t i n c l u d i n g t h o s e
s er vi ng se n t e nc e s fo r se r i o us o f fe ns e s s uc h as mu rd e r a n d r a p e. I t i s t h e n i n t h n a t i o n a l a m n e s t y i n
A r m e n i a s i n c e t h e c o l l a p s e of t h e S o v i e t U n i o n i n
1991.
Giving Back to Teachers at Tekeyan Schools
By Varujan Sirapian
YEREVAN — As it does every year,
the Tekeyan Cultural Association
brought financial assistance to the
employees, teachers and staff of
Tekeyan schools in Armenia.
During my third visit to Armenia this
year, at the end of September, I was
invited by the Tekeyan Center of
Yerevan to accompany them to visit the
schools in Gumri and Stepanavan. Of
course I accepted the invitation with
delight.
I knew that the Tekeyan schools are
well organized, clean and pleasant to
frequent. My first visit took place in
October 2001, to the Tekeyan school of
Sebastia, near Yerevan.
On September 26, I accompanied
Gayane Muradyan and Karekin
Kevorkian to the Gumri Tekeyan
School. I was delighted to see the good
conditions in which the students are
welcomed. Beside I was happy to find
out that there was a
French-language classroom in that school. As
one
of
Institut
Tchobanian’s purposes
is the enhancement of
the “Francophonie” in
Armenia (which has
been a full member of
Francophonie
since
2012) I offered to donate
some books in French to
the Gumri Tekeyan
School’s library.
The next day we went Distributing checks to staff in Gumri, with Gayane
to Stepanavan. Again I Muradyan, left, and Varoujan Sirapian, right
was agreeably surprised
to see a very modern
school, with a theater and a very up-to- their efforts and commitment.
I also appreciated the serious and
date gymnasium. Even in France it’s
rare to find a school as clean as this professional job conducted by
one. Not a tag on walls, pupils well Muradyan, who kept track of every sindressed and very respectful toward gle envelope distributed to the employees of Tekeyan.
their teachers and visitors.
It is hard to describe the joy of the
(Varoujan Siropian is the President
employees as they received their
of Institut Tchobanian, Paris.)
envelopes. Their salaries do not match
Armenian Church, Survivor of the
Ages, Faces Modern Hurdles
By David M. Herszenhorn
ECHMIADZIN (New York Times) — In
this ancient city, tucked in a valley that
has witnessed the rise and fall of
empires, King Tiridates III converted to
Christianity and declared Armenia to be
the world’s first Christian state. The
year was 301.
Since then, the Armenian Apostolic
Church, which still has its main cathedral here, has survived conquest and
dispersion, genocide and governmentimposed atheism during the years
Armenia was part of the Soviet Union.
It also endured centuries of internal
rancor, including a split in 1441 that led
to the establishment of a rival leadership now based in Lebanon.
As church leaders gathered here last
week for a rare bishops’ conference,
they seemed to be ready to put at least
some of those differences aside as they
confronted a new set of challenges:
entrenched secularism at home, assimilation of followers in the Armenian
Diaspora abroad and general disaffection with organized religion.
“The church is in dire need of renewal,”
Catholicos Aram I, the leader of the
Lebanon-based faction of the church, said
in an interview. “And by renewal, I mean
the church has to be responsive to the
needs and expectations of the people.”
He added, “The church has to
respond to the challenges of the present-day world.”
Exactly how the church plans to do
that remains elusive, however, and
some skeptics said the split remained as
divisive as ever.
The church has more than nine million adherents worldwide, most outside
Armenia. Statistics show that more
than 98 percent of Armenians consider
themselves Christians, but only 8 percent said they attended services at least
once a week — data that suggest the
church is still struggling to overcome
the legacy of forced atheism 23 years
after Armenian independence.
There have also been a number of
recent controversies, including the resignation of the head of the church in
France, Archbishop Norvan Zakarian, in
a dispute over demands by the church
leadership to reinstate a priest facing
criminal assault charges.
“The whole situation of the division
of the Armenian church is not
resolved,” said one Western-based archbishop who asked not to be identified.
“Yes, this is a conclave, but the church
is not unified.”
Aram acknowledged that he claimed
the same basic title as Catholicos
Karekin II in Echmiadzin, who also has
the added designation of supreme patriarch of all Armenians. Still, Aram
denied any fissure.
“We don’t have any division in the
Armenian church,” he said. “We are one
church. We are one people. We are one
nation. We are one mission. We have
two Catholicoi, and we are rich — this is
an expression of the richness of the
church.”
For his part, Karekin told his audience of 62 bishops, who had come from
as far away as Australia and Latin
America, that it was time to come
together.
“All these controversies and administrative divisions did not allow carrying
out unified reforms,” Karekin said. “We
are an entire century behind the opportunity to modernize the church.”
He added, “The time has come to
consolidate all forces.”
To minimize the prospect of sharp
disagreements at the conference, a tight
agenda was adopted: creating universal
practices for baptisms and confirmations, discussing the canonization of
victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide
in recognition of the 100th anniversary
and planning another conference next
year.
In an apparent bid to generate positive publicity around the conference,
church officials billed it as the first
synod of its kind in nearly 600 years — a
bit of snappy marketing that was widely
repeated by the Armenian news media.
“Now, we are witnessing the epochmaking event indeed,” said President
Serge Sargisian. “For centuries, due to
different circumstances, and particularly in the last six centuries, it was not
possible to invite a bishops’ synod of
the Armenian Church.”
Experts, however, said that was not
quite true.
At the event nearly 600 years ago, a
conclave in Echmiadzin in 1441, church
leaders decided to move the headquarters back here from Sis, in what is now
Turkey, where the Armenian kingdom
of Cilicia had been conquered by
Egyptian Mamluks.
A new leader, Kirako Virapetsy, was
elected to replace Catholicos Gregory
IX, who was ill and remained in Sis. But
when Gregory died, officials in Sis elected their own replacement.
“The year 1441 is being mentioned
here and there as if to give it more
importance and significance,” said
Hratch Tchilingirian, an expert on the
church who teaches at Oxford
University’s Oriental Institute.
Tchilingirian said a bishops’ synod
was held here in 1969. Armenian clerics
from the US attended, even though it
was during the cold war, while those
from Lebanon refused to attend.
He said that last week’s agenda
seemed to ignore tough issues in favor
of safe topics. For example, before the
75th anniversary of the Genocide, both
branches of the church issued statements about canonizing victims.
Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, the
director of ecumenical and foreign relations at the Armenian Apostolic
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, said reaching
an agreement to canonize victims — the
first saints designated by the church
since the 1500s — was a top priority.
“We, the bishops and archbishops living today, are descendants of Armenian
genocide,” Shirvanian said. “All of us
are survivors. That’s the driving spirit
behind this meeting.”
Whatever the agenda, Echmiadzin,
which is also called by its original name,
Vagharshapat, remains at the center of
Armenian spiritual life.
The conversion of Tiridates III in 301,
a decade before the Roman emperor
Constantine embraced Christianity, is
credited to St. Gregory the Illuminator,
the patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic
Church.
Living in Vagharshapat, then capital
of Armenia, Gregory reportedly had a
vision that the skies parted and a ray of
light blazed down, surrounding a group
of angels and a man — Jesus — who
struck the ground with a golden hammer and made an altar-shaped structure
appear amid a column of fire with a
cross shining above it.
It was on that spot that Gregory oversaw construction of the Cathedral of
Echmiadzin — meaning, “Jesus Christ,
the only begotten, descended.”
Noah Sneider contributed reporting.
S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 3
T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
INTERNATIONAL
Russia’s Olympic Torch Flames Out, Again
Fo r m er Fo r eign Mi n ist er
O f T urkey Favor s Ties
w i th A r m en i a
By Kathy Lally
MOSCOW (Washington Post) — The
first time the Olympic flame died out
was amusing — that was last Sunday at
the Kremlin, when a plainclothes officer
relit it with a cigarette lighter. But then
on Monday, a second torch flickered
out, threatening national embarrassment.
A torchbearer taking part in the
Olympic relay through Moscow on
Monday afternoon was jogging along
Raushskaya Embankment, on the other
side of the river from the Kremlin, when
his flame was extinguished, according to
reports on TV Rainand amateur videos.
The torchbearer, accompanied by a
police car, SUV, small van and several
volunteer marshals, stopped. A volunteer rushed up to him with another
torch. A third arrived holding what
might be a small lantern — it was difficult to see.
The seconds dragged by. Dark clouds
pressed down from above with seeming
displeasure. The spectators could be
heard. “It’s sad.” They chuckled uneasily. “Is Gazprom sponsoring this?”
(Gazprom is the giant government-controlled energy company.) Then the new
torch ignited and the runner was on his
way.
The flame had arrived in Moscow
Sunday afternoon by chartered flight.
As a former Olympic swimmer named
Shavarsh Karapetyan carried the flame
into the Kremlin, where it spent the
night, the fire went out.
Fortunately, at least in this case,
Y ER EVA N ( Ar men p e s s) — So me T urki sh dip l o mat s
h av e s t a r t e d v o i c i n g o p i n i o n s a b o u t n o r m a l i z i n g
t i e s w i t h A r m en i a . S o m e b e l i ev e t h a t b ec a u s e o f
b a d r e l a t i o n s w i t h i t s n e i g h b o r s , A n k a r a m a y h av e
t o s t a y o u t o f t h e p o l i t i c a l p r o c es s es i n t h e M i d d l e
E a s t . I n t h e i r o p i n i o n i n o r d e r t o av o i d d i p l o m a t i c
i s o l a t i o n , t h e c o u n t r y s h o u l d i m m e d i a t e l y c ha n g e
it s fo re ig n p o li c y. “ Tur ke y mus t ke ep an d main t ain ,
an d fo r t he s ake of sho r t -t e r m in t e re st s” n o t p u t in
d a n g e r i t s “ u n i qu e g e o s t r a t e g i c p o s i t i o n i n t h e r e l a t io n s wi t h b o t h t he We st an d t he Is lam ic wo r l d,”
fo r me r A mba ss ado r of T urke y Nu zhe t Gan de mir
s aid in an in t e r v ie w w it h Today’s Z aman .
Russia’s Olympic torch continues to have trouble remaining aflame.
Russia is filled with smokers. The nearest
one leaned over and relit the torch with
his lighter. Officials later said the valve
had not been turned on properly. They
reassured the nation that the original
flame was safely guarded in lanterns,
which would relight relay torches.
The relay began with fanfare Monday,
with a two-day, 50-mile route through
Moscow. President Vladimir Putin was
spared the sight of the failed flame. He
was in Bali for the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation meeting, where
he was quoted as politely saying he
understood why President Obama had
canceled, what with a national crisis,
government shutdown and so on.
Putin had personally wooed the
International Olympic Committee for
the 2014 Winter Olympics, which open
February 7 in Sochi, where the weather
is as unpredictable as an open flame.
Last February, it rained in the mountains where the outdoor events will be
held.
He has made successful Olympics a
point of personal pride and honor. The
14,000 torches produced for the relay
were described as state of the art,
designed to withstand the bitterest
Russian winter.
And now here, on Monday, on the
first day of the 123-day, 40,000-mile
relay across this great land, the Olympic
flame had gone out once again.
AGBU-Supported Seminar Marks Beginning of
New Armenian Leadership Network in Europe
WARSAW — A new network of
Armenian leaders in Europe is now
taking shape, following an AGBU-supported seminar that brought together
key policy makers, entrepreneurs, journalists, and academics in Warsaw, hosted by Polish Senator Lukasz
Abgarowicz.
The event, held earlier this month,
served as a forum for senior professionals from across Central and
Eastern Europe, who have an
Armenian background or an interest in
grounds as industry leaders and lawmakers, the representatives discussed
ways that the AGBU-supported network will further strengthen Armenian
leadership in the public arena, facilitate dialogues with public authorities
in their respective countries, and
advance Armenian issues across
Europe. These are issues that will be
on the agenda at future regional seminars, which will be held in France,
Romania and Sweden in the coming
months, as the new network is formed.
Industry leaders and lawmakers from across Europe spearhead a new Armenian
leadership network at an AGBU-sponsored seminar in Warsaw in September.
Armenia, to develop a new peer leadership network. The 23 representatives
included member of the Parliament of
Ukraine Arsen Avakov; member of the
Parliament of Sweden Esabelle
Dingizian; business executive Edward
Mier-Jedrzejowicz; opera conductor
Haig Utidjian (Czech Republic); and
member of the Parliament of Romania
Varujan Vosganian.
Drawing from their diverse back-
International News
The representatives also strategized
ways to leverage their expertise to foster future leadership in diasporan
young professionals, who will meet the
challenges of Europe’s rapidly changing political and economic environment. They discussed the AGBU
GORIZ program, which provides postgraduates who have an exceptional
academic record and experience in
civic engagement with the tools they
need to succeed in their fields. While
GORIZ offers trainings, networking
opportunities and seminars, representatives at the Warsaw conference
agreed to advance those efforts by
including a mentoring component for
GORIZ members. The AGBU Europe
District president Alexis Govciyan welcomed the proposal for the new mentorship initiative, stating, “These outstanding individuals are willing to
invest in the promotion of leadership
in others. Their contributions will be
invaluable to encourage all of us, and
particularly the next generation, to
strive for excellence.”
Through a series of seminars, participants also discussed some of the
opportunities and challenges facing
the Armenian diaspora in Europe
today. Professors Chan Choenni of the
VU University Amsterdam and Lukasz
Lotocki of the University of Warsaw
presented their research on the migration and social integration of
Armenians in the Netherlands and
Poland. Participants agreed that comparable research on Armenian communities in other countries should be promoted as an invaluable tool for policy
and action.
As AGBU Europe Director Nicolas
Tavitian noted, the new leadership network will help the Armenian diaspora
continue to thrive in Europe.
Commenting on the Armenians’ centuries-old presence across the continent, he stated, “We need Armenians
who are building their lives in Europe
to know that they already have a long
history here, with a distinguished
record. Through these seminars and
our leadership network, we will continue building on those foundations.”
To learn more about the leadership network, email contact@agbueurope.eu.
S a rg i s i a n D i s c u s s e s
K arab ag h at PAC E
Sessio n
S T R A S B O U R G ( R F E / R L ) — A r m en i a n P r e s i d e n t
S e r g e S a r g i s i a n h a s u r g e d t h e C o u n c i l of E u r o pe t o
i n i t i a t e d i r e c t c o n t a c t s w i t h N a g or n o - K a r a b a g h
a u t h o r i t i es t o s et t l e t h e c o n f l i c t .
D ur i n g an Oc to b e r 2 s p ee c h t o t he b o dy ’s
Par l iame n t ar y As se mb ly, Sar g is ian sai d t he C o unc i l
o f E u r op e c o u l d s t a r t d i r e c t c o m m u n i c a t i o n s w i t h
N a g o r n o - K a r a b a g h , c on s i d e r i n g t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n
h a s a c t ed s i m i l a r l y i n ot h e r c o n f l i c t z o n e s .
S a r g i s i a n a l s o c r i t i c i z e d hi s A z e r i c o u n t e r p a r t ,
Il ham A li ye v, ove r t he is s ue , c l aimi n g B aku c o n t in u e s t o t h r e a t en A r m e n i a w i t h w a r a n d t o b o a s t
a b o u t i t s d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e i n c r e a s es i n m i l i t a r y
s p en d i n g .
UNE SC O I nclud es Sayat
Nova Wo rks w it h
I n ter n a t i on a l
Co mmu n i t y
Y ER EVA N ( Ar men p re s s) — Sayat N ova’s 300t h
a n n i ve r s a r y w a s i nc l u d e d i n t h e 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3 c a l e n d a r o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l e v e n t s b y t h e Un i t e d N a t i o n s
E d u c a t i o n a l , S c i e nt i f i c a n d C u l t u r a l O r g a n i z a t i o n
( U NE S C O .)
W i t h t h e s u p p o r t o f a n a t i o n a l c o m m i s s i o n de a l in g w it h t h e a f f a ir s o f U NE S C O i n Ar m e n ia , t h e
e ve n t w a s c e l e b r a t e d w i t h va r i o u s c e re m o ni e s n o t
o n l y i n A r m e n i a , b u t a l s o i n d i f f e r e n t n e i g hb o r i n g
c o u n t r ie s .
T h e or g a n i z i n g c om m i s s i on n o t ed o n i t s w e b s i t e :
“ T h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n of t h e p r oj e c t w i t h t h e h e l p
o f U N E S C O , w i l l p r o m o t e w i de r r e c o g n i t i o n o f
S a y a t N o va ’ s w o rk s i n A r m e n i a a s w e l l a s i n t h e
in t er nat i on al c o mmuni t y, whi c h c an b e c ome t he
b a s i s f o r t h e t r a ns l a t i o ns a nd t h e i n t e rc u l t u r a l d i a l og u e o f A r m e n i a n p r o m i n e n t t r o u b a d ou r ’ s h e r it age . T he c o ll e c t i on o f Say at Nov a’s s o n gs w i ll al so
b e p u b l i s h ed . ”
G e r m a n y Re s p e c t s
A r m e n i a ’s D e c i s i o n t o
J oi n C ust om s Un io n
GEN EVA ( Ar me np re s s) — Wi t hi n t he f r ame wo rk o f
t h e s u m m i t of t h e I n t er p a r l i a m e n t a r y U n i o n h el d i n
G e n e v a , o n O c t o b e r 6 t h e P r e s i d en t of t h e N a t i o n a l
A s s e mb l y o f t h e R epu b l i c of A r me n i a H ov i k
A b r a h a my a n m et w i t h t h e P r es i d en t of t he
B u n d e s t a g o f G e r m a ny N o r b e r t L a m m e r t . T h e
N a t i on a l A s s e m b l y o f A r m e n i a p r e s s o f f i c e r e p o r t e d
t h a t d u r i n g t h e m ee t i n g t h e t w o d i s c u s s e d a w i d e
r a n ge o f i s su e s .
A b r a h a m y a n n o t e d t h a t A r m e ni a i s g re a t l y i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e ex p a n s i o n o f t h e r el a t i o n s w i t h
Ge r many.
L a m m e r t h i g h l i g h t e d t h e d ev e l o p m e n t o f t h e
A r m e n i a - G e r m a n y re l a t i o ns , t h e d e e p e n i n g o f t h e
i n t er p a r l i a m e n t a r y c o o p e r a t i on a n d t h e s t r e n g t h e n i n g o f t h e c o l l a bo r a t i o n i n d i f f e re nt f i e l d s . H e
a d d e d t h a t G e r m a ny re s p e c t s t h e d e c i s i o n o f t h e
R e p u b l i c o f A r m en i a t o j o i n t h e C u s t o m s U n i o n .
A t t h e e nd o f t h e m e e t i n g A br a h a m y a n i n v i t e d
L a m m e r t t o v i s i t A r m e ni a .
3
4
S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 3
T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
INTERNATIONAL
Dr. Hratch Kouyoumjian Discusses Future of TCA,
International Convention in London November 8-9
(The following interview was conducted
between the Armenian Mirror-Spectator and
Dr. Hratch Kouyoumjian, chairman of the
London branch of the Tekeyan Cultural
Association [TCA].
MS: Please give us some background
regarding t he upc oming TCA Inter nat ional
Consult ion.
A: As you know, the Tekeyan Cultural
Association was established in 1947, right after
the difficult war years, by a group of Armenian
intellectuals and businessmen. Last year we celebrated its the 65th anniversary. Since 1947,
there has not been any attempt to bring the various chapters and sister organizations together
in order to discuss the future of the Association
and plan ahead collectively in a rapidly-changing world.
This is a long-overdue attempt to bring all the
major players together. It was universally felt
that we need to conduct this action and
London was a natural choice.
MS: Tell us about t he histor y of t he TCA.
A: It all started in Beirut through the dedication and sacrifices of prominent personalities
Iranian MP Meets
with Pakradounian
As P5+1 Countries
Hold Talks on Iran’s
Nuclear Program
GENEVA (Armenpress) — A senior
Iranian parliamentarian has reaffirmed
the Islamic Republic’s stance on defending its nuclear energy program, stressing that the country will never give up
its absolute rights, Armenpress reports
referring to Press TV.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready
for negotiations and talks with representatives of the P5+1 countries on the
nuclear issue with based on mutual
respect and on an equal footing,”
Chairman of the Majlis National
Security and Foreign Policy Committee
Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Sunday.
Boroujerdi made the remarks in a
meeting with Hagop Pakradounian, an
Armenian deputy in Lebanon’s parliament, as Iran and the five permanent
members of the UN Security Council —
Russia, China, Britain, France and the
US plus Germany — are scheduled to
hold talks mainly on Iran’s nuclear
issue in Geneva on October 15 and 16.
The United States, Israel and some of
their allies have repeatedly accused Iran
of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its
nuclear energy program, with the US
and the European Union using the
unsubstantiated claim as an excuse to
impose illegal sanctions against Tehran.
Iran has categorically rejected the
allegation, stressing that as a committed member of the International Atomic
Energy Agency and a signatory to the
Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is entitled to
develop nuclear technology for peaceful
purposes.
Boroujerdi further said that Iran and
Lebanon share a common stance on
developments in Syria. “The Islamic
Republic of Iran’s approach is based on
promoting sustainable peace and security in the region and across the world,”
the Iranian lawmaker added.
The Lebanese MP, for his part, said
that his country supports Iran’s efforts
to promote regional peace and security
and believes that Tehran has played a
very constructive role in averting war in
the crisis-stricken country.
who have unfortunately now left us: Hratch
Setrakian, Kersam Aharonian, Parounag
Tovmassian, Hamparsoum Berberian, Hagop
Tavitian, Haigashen Ouzounian and others,
who formed the Founders’ Committee in 1947.
TCA then branched out into many diasporan
communities that are now well established and
respected organizations in their respective
countries. This expansion took place first in the
Middle East, then in the US and Canada, followed by Europe and finally in Armenia. Today
there are branches and sister organizations in
12 countries, with most of them attending this
meeting.
TCA is a cultural organization dedicated to
the promotion of Armenian culture and history
and acts as a bridge joining various diasporan
communities. It is an apolitical organization.
However, the founding members professed
democratic and liberal ideologies which have
impacted TCA, and which are still professed to
this day and form the backbone of the association.
MS: What do you mean by sist er organiz at i o n s ?
A: Prior to 1947, people who had been prepared for future leadership roles, had established various organizations and trusts to pursue their ideals in the service of the Armenian
Diaspora and Armenia. For example, the Dikran
Yergat Armenian Cultural Association in
Alexandria was established back in 1902. I am
glad that the umbilical chord has kept all these
organizations together as one family. Most of
these organizations will be with us in November
except for Jordan and Syria, due to understandable reasons.
MS: London is playing a cent ral role in
t his gat hering. What can you tell us about
t he local chapt er?
A: The London chapter was established in
1975. It was thanks to the efforts of people
such as Haigashen Ouzounian, Garo Arevian,
Tavit Messerlian, Antranig Dzouligian, Garbis
Yessayan, Garo Krikorian, V. Ouzounian, D.
Vorperian and many others.
Sadly some of these figures, particularly
those representing the Founders Committee
are no longer with us, but others such V.artan
Ouzounian still continue to play prominent
roles, particularly in the Tekeyan Trust, which
the London Chapter had established 1979.
M S : C a n y o u s p e a k a b o u t t h e L o n do n
Tr ust?
A: The London Trust was established by the
local TCA chapter initially in order to acquire
the premises for the London Chapter, through
the generous donation of the late Mr. Garo
Krikorian. However, after the independence of
Armenia, the TCA leadership decided to
acquire headquarters in the newly-independent
Armenia. Thus, the semi-completed “Groung”
building was acquired through public donations, renovated and renamed as the “Tekeyan
Centre” in Yerevan. The Centre, together with
the Tekeyan Centre Fund, is today both a
major landmark and hub of activities in
Armenia.
MS: What is t he exp ec t ed outco me of t his
g a t he r i n g ?
A: It is difficult to predict all the expected
outcomes. One has to be modest in his/her
expectations. The fact that so many chapters
and people in leadership roles are attending, in
itself will be a major testimony. It is no secret
that there are issues in our family of organizations; this will be a unique opportunity to bring
most major players together in order to iron
out these difficulties and plot ahead collectively with a new vision adaptable to the condi-
Farce in Turkey’s Courts: Act Two
TURKEY, from page 1
warrant for him and then to postpone the
other “decision.” This, Akhanli noted, only
served the purpose of keeping him out of his
native land. As he knows from experience, if
he were to try to enter Turkey under current
circumstances, he would be arrested. That happened to him in August 2010 when he travelled there in hopes of visiting his dying father.
He was apprehended at the airport, thrown
into jail and kept there for months, and prevented from attending his father’s funeral.
Only after his acquittal in December could he
visit Turkey again.
For his part, the novelist declared he did not
suffer any such pangs of indecision: he had
made up his mind that he would assert his freedom from the trial.
In a statement prepared to be read out at the
hearing, he wrote the following:
Following the lifting of my acquittal by the
Appeals Court in Ankara, the case against me
has taken on a Kafkaesque character. the very
same court which was unable to find any organization behind the murder of Hrant Dink
accuses me again of being the head of a terrorist organization — under the alias ‘DOGAN K.’
— and expects me even to stage manage my
“execution” together with the accusers.
As a writer I know the frightening ability to
accommodate and the tragic end of Josef K., the
protagonist of Kafka’s novel, The Trial. For this
reason on December 8, 2010, the first day of
the trial against me, I was able with my silence
and protected by public solidarity to flee the
Kafkaesque room that the Turkish justice system had walled up for me.
Now the court wants to use all its power to
shut me up again in this room. I am fight
against this with all my strength, I will not go
back. I will face the Turkish justice system with
my silence in the future too. I am not the figure
in Kafka’s novel, who at the end of his “trial”
lets himself “voluntarily” be executed with a
butcher’s knife, and yet is again reawakened by
every reader to new life. Different from the fig-
ure in the novel I have only one life. And I do
not want to spend this life in a Kafkaesque
farce.
I am making my exit. I will no longer appear
before the Turkish courts, not voluntarily, and
not by force. I take the liberty that they want to
deprive me of. I will be free, on my own will.
I am doing this also because my case, from
the political and human rights standpoint is
one part of numerous unjust cases which are
opened, conducted and ended in Turkey with
shrill arbitrariness and arrogance. With my decision, I know that, in refusing this trial, I am on
the side of those who each in their own way are
standing up against the Turkish justice system,
which is the expression of a hopelessly unjust
state.
— Dogan Akhanli
This is, indeed, not the first time the
Turkish justice system has displayed such arbitrariness, and the jails filled with journalists,
writers, dissidents and human rights activists
bear testimony to this fact. What is not clear
is the reason why the court continues to perform the same farce over and again. One reason might be found in Gezi Park. The AKP
government, to be sure, did not hesitate to
deploy violence against demonstrators, and it
has come under strong international censure
as a result. Talks with the European Union are
being delayed, as criticism of such anti-democratic police-state methods is particularly
tions of the 21st century, taking into consideration the new and evolving realities in the diaspora and Armenia.
Naturally, a review of operational modalities
and the need for having an effective organization and a sustainable budget will figure
amongst major issues to be debated. This naturally necessitates an overall coordinating
body to streamline operations and communication, which can then direct assistance where
needed.
MS: D r. Kouyoumjian, you have played
an imp or t ant role in t his. Could you
e x p l ai n w h y y o u u n d e r t o o k i t ?
A: I said earlier that this meeting was long
overdue. There had been regional meetings in
the US and Canada or in the Middle East, but
at no time had all the chapters and sister organizations debated collectively major issues and
the challenges facing them all. The fact that I
had been studying the central archives of the
TCA during my periodic visits to Beirut, and
those of my late father, coupled with the fact
that he had played a prominent role in the TCA
and sister organizations, and that many of
today’s leaders had been his students, helped
me tremendously. Without an exhaustive
knowledge of the inner workings of such an
organization, and close contacts with people in
leadership roles, this would not have been possible. I take this opportunity to thank all those
who rallied to the call and supported the
process in more ways than one.
My role is a very modest one. I simply tried
to catalyze a process which many felt had to be
undertaken. The real credit goes to my local
London Chapter, and to those who supported
the process and the gathering in London.
Finally, let me thank the Armenian Mirror
Spectator for this interview.
strong in Germany. Prime Minister Erdogan
has just issued a reform package, promising
rapid strides along Turkey’s “irreversible
progress towards democracy,” with proposals
to ensure respect for human rights, by easing
restrictions on the use of langauges other
than Turkish (i.e. Kurdish), lifting the ban on
headscarves in most public offices and reforming the electoral system to allow easier access
to parliament for smaller parties, etc. Whether
or not the proposals will become reality,
whether or not such a reform would guarantee basic human rights at all are big questions;
but the fact that the government has come forward with such a package may mean it is feeling the pressure from abroad. In this situation, if the Istanbul court were to decide to
reopen the case against Akhanli, go through
the motions of a trial, pronounce him guilty
and sentence him to life in prison, that could
have an explosive effect both domestically and
abroad. The Akhanli case has already intersected the Gezi Park ferment; the high-level
delegation of observers from Germany who
attended the July 31 hearing on his case
linked their defense of Akhanli with their solidarity for the Gezi Park movement. If the
court were to decide the opposite, that is, confirm its acquittal and drop all charges and
arrest warrants against him, then that could
send a shock wave throughout civil society,
generating more optimism and self-confidence
among human rights layers that they can in
the end prevail. With its chronic vacillating,
the court seems to be in a state of paralysis —
anything but free.
For Your Internal News of Armenia
Log on to
www.AZG.am
In English, Armenian, Russian and Turkish
S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 3
T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
5
Community News
AGBU Donors
Worldwide Raise
More than $1
Million for Syrian
Relief
NEW YORK — The Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU) has officially broken
its $1 million fundraising mark to benefit the
ongoing Humanitarian Emergency Relief Fund
in Support of Syrian Armenians, which was
made possible by donors worldwide. The money
is now at work to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of countless Syrian Armenians on the
ground. Yet, as the devastating conflict unfolds
with no end in sight, thousands of vulnerable
families continue to look to the global
Armenian community for support.
Since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war over
two years ago, an estimated four million people
have been internally displaced. Many have
watched their homes, religious institutions, and
neighborhoods be reduced to rubble. They are
losses that are felt acutely by Syrian Armenians,
whose presence in the country can be traced to
the 11th century and whose future there is now
in peril. Cities that were once safe havens for
survivors of the Armenian Genocide have
become battlegrounds as diasporans across the
country struggle to survive.
Amidst the devastation, AGBU is working to
ensure that Armenians in Syria receive the
food, healthcare, shelter and emergency assistance they need. In August 2012, the AGBU
District Committee of Syria formed the AGBU
Emergency Body in order to cope with the
humanitarian crisis. Comprised of local AGBU
representatives, the Body has created its own
social welfare system, registering beneficiaries,
assessing their needs, and administering life-saving aid to more than 3,000 families.
Throughout Syria, AGBU is now supporting
emergency shelters, distribution centers and
clinics staffed by volunteers trained in first-aid.
With care and determination, over 100 AGBU
An Armenian man surveys what was once his
home in Aleppo’s Midan district.
volunteers are risking their lives every day to
ensure that the elderly, sick and injured are
among those who remain a priority as conditions deteriorate.
While a scarcity of fuel and public transportation has made it nearly impossible for
scores of Syrian Armenians to leave the country, those who have found refuge in Armenia
and Lebanon face their own challenges. Not
knowing when — or if — they will be able to
return home, those individuals have relied on
AGBU for housing stipends, grocery coupons,
medicine, warm clothing and school fees. Last
see RELIEF, page 7
Health Care
Professionals Learn
About Effective
Medical Education
In Armenia
By Lawrence V. Najarian, MD
Arman Serebrakian hopes to represent Armenia at the 2014 Olympic Winter
Games in Sochi, Russia.
Olympic Journey an
Uphill Quest for Skier
NOVATO, Calif. — Like the Catskills, the road to Sochi has been long and bumpy
for Olympic hopeful Arman Serebrakian, but the journey continues, over mountains and valleys, as he works towards joining fellow skiers in the winter games.
Serebrakian’s journey is not focused on Olympic gold, but rather is the story of
a man who would withstand an
avalanche to be counted among the
best alpine skiers in the world with the
By Tom Vartabedian
Tricolor in his hand.
While he has the talent to compete,
Serebrakian is missing the funds. But, he is making inroads.
As a member of the Armenian National Ski Team, Serebrakian just returned
from seven weeks in New Zealand and Australia for quality training. In the process,
he completed seven races and saw his world rating jump from 2,568 to 753,
putting him right on track for a berth before the January 20 deadline.
In order to qualify, he needs a ranking of 500 or below for a guaranteed spot.
“We trained alongside many national teams,” Serebrakian said. “I’m now skiing
slalom better and more confidently than ever.”
Serebrakian took a year’s sabbatical from his medical studies where he is
between his second and third year at Temple University. He still keeps up his studies while on break in order to maintain scholastics as he works towards becoming
a surgeon.
You can find him inside a gym twice on any given day, striving to increase his
leg strength and gain muscle weight. Though he has no lack of dedication, the 27year-old has had his share of challenges since he was first introduced to the slopes
at age 2.
One sacrifice has been the absence of the social life he used to enjoy.
“It is all necessary in reaching my potential,” said the dual citizen. “Overall, I’m
happy with my skiing and my progression is right on track. My goal is to put
Armenian skiing on the map.”
Serebrakian and his “sidekick” Arsen Nersisyan are strong candidates for
Armenia. Serebrakian’s sister Ani Serebrakian — another talent — decided to
forego Olympic intentions in order to help her brother with fundraising.
Over the past eight years, Serebrakian has been the top-ranked Armenian alpine
ski racer in the world. He has had four top-10 National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA)finishes while competing for the University of Colorado where
he made the All-Academic Ski Team, served twice as captain and one year as an
assistant coach.
The skiing is a costly sport with elite level equipment, coaching, on-snow training, lift tickets, travel, lodging, ski tuning supplies and competition fees. It all adds
up.
“I’m closer to reaching my $90,000 goal needed to compete, but it has been a
long road,” he said mentioning a European trip to the Alps this October. “My training and competition schedule will continue to take me across the globe where the
best snow conditions exist. Now I face the challenge of raising my own funds while
still paying my way through medical school with student loans.”
The intensified on-snow training in the Alps will cover some of the rugged glaciers as a final tune-up before the winter’s competitive season.
Loans, fundraisers and just about any option necessary will help fuel his budget, including a bar night in San Francisco, as well as a silent auction and dance
in Los Angeles.
see SKIER, page 8
FAR HILLS, N.J. — More than 50 health care
professionals from New Jersey, New York and
Connecticut learned about new, more effective
ways to educate doctors in Armenia, from two
Fulbright Scholars who have presented programs there.
Members and guests of Armenian American
Health Professionals Organization (AAHPO)
attended presentations on September 13 by
Fulbright Scholars Charles J. Greenberg, MSL,
MEd
and
Gevorg
Yaghjyan,
MD,
PhD. Greenberg is research services librarian at
the Yale Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, and
an American who visited Armenia as a
Fulbright Scholar. Yaghjyan is an Armenian
medical educator and leader who recently
returned to Armenia after visiting the US for a
year as a Fulbright Scholar.
“We were honored to have these presenters,
who are top professionals in their respective
fields. They offered first-hand perspectives that
are invaluable to AAHPO members. Increased
knowledge about medical education in Armenia
helps us to plan initiatives to fulfill AAHPO’s
mission,” noted Kim Hekimian, PhD, an
AAHPO President Lawrence V. Najarian, MD
(far left) is shown with Charles J. Greenberg,
MSL, MEd, Haikaz Grigorian, MD , John
Bilezikian, MD, Gevorg Yaghjyan, MD, PhD and
Edgar Housepian, MD. Greenberg, and
Grigorian, Yaghjyan and Housepian are
Fulbright Scholars. Grigorian, Bilezikian and
Housepian are AAHPO Honorees.
The event was attended by AAHPO officers and
other Armenian leaders. From left are Irina
Lazarian, Presenter Charles Greenberg, Shohag
Hovanessian, Louiza Pushkilian-Kubikian DDS,
Joyce Kurdian DDS, Tsoline Kojoaghlanian MD
and Raffy Hovanessian MD. Pushkilian-Kubikian,
Kojoaghlanian and Hovanessian all are members of AAHPO Board of Directors.
AAHPO board member, public health specialist,
and Assistant Professor at Columbia University
who has made frequent trips to study health
care in Armenia.
AAHPO’s mission is to improve health care
awareness, increase disease prevention and
early detection, foster fellowship and career
development of Armenian health care professionals, and provide medical support and education to both our local communities and
Armenia.
“I appreciated the invitation to present and
share my experiences educating both librarians
and early career clinical researchers during my
two short-term Fulbright Specialist visits to
see HEALTH CARE, page 6
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T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
COMMUNITY NEWS
Lowell Veterans Give out $150,000 in Scholarships
By Tom Vartabedian
LOWELL, Mass. — Sam Manoian Post # 1,
Armenian-American Veterans of Lowell, has
much to celebrate these days.
With eight scholarship presentations to worthy high school graduates Sept. 28, the group
exceeded $150,000 in gifts — a milestone that
ushered in loud applause during an annual dinner-dance inside the Kazanjian Memorial
Pavilion of Sts. Vartanantz Church, attended by
more than 200 guests.
As protocol had it, each student offers words
of gratitude upon his or her presentation.
The sum extends over 23 years, covering
some 130 students during this time, the proceeds from which have come from this affair.
The Veterans are celebrating their 62nd year of
existence and continue to be a viable force in
the Merrimack Valley community.
“It’s a tradition that has been woven into the
fabric of our community life,” said Commander
Richard Juknavorian. “The future of our
younger generation is a matter we take seriously. Anything we can do to enhance that goal
will be encouraged.”
Honored this year were: Alex Paroyian,
Genna Kludjian, Tahleen Seifel, Taleen
Kalajian, Spencer Dean, Laurel Kazanjian, Sam
Balian and Brett Duffy.
According to Scholarship Chairman George
Manuelian, many recipients have graduated college, started careers and showed their gratitude
by contributing to the Menas Boghosian
Scholarship Fund.
“The moral responsibilities they have exercised are exemplary,” said Manuelian. “It’s nice
to know that we’ve contributed to their welfare
with scholarship aid. We try to make it very per-
sonal. Parents and siblings
become part of the celebration.”
The group’s history dates
back to 1947, when
Armenian-American
Veterans of World War 2
gathered at the Pine Street
Potato Chip Company on
Gorham Street and elected
Menas Boghosian as their
first commander.
The numbers grew
enough to become officially
chartered and in 1961, they
joined the Veterans’ Council
of Lowell.
Over the decades, they’ve
served the ArmenianAmerican community with
diligence and pride, volunteering at Veterans’ hospitals, assisting the indigent,
sponsoring Christmas parties for children and donating Easter baskets and
Christmas toys to children.
Roses are distributed after Lowell Armenian-American Veterans of Sam Manoian Post #1 honored eight high school graduates with scholarship prechurch services on Mother’s sentations Sept. 28 at Sts. Vartanantz Church, Chelmsford. Pictured are students with their families, joined by
Commander Richard Juknavorian, left, and Scholarship Committee Chairman George Manuelian, right.
Day.
Members conduct special
graveyard services for some
50 deceased Armenian-American Veterans and are Veterans, including its chairman, Armen later, they erected a monument dedicated to the
Armenian settlers who became a vital part of
have never missed a Memorial Day Parade or Jeknavorian.
Members have served this country in World the Greater Lowell society.
Armenian Genocide commemoration.
“To all our deceased members, their sacrifice
Just recently, the Lowell Veterans have been War I, World War II, as well as the wars in
will never be forgotten,” added Juknavorian.
one of the major sponsors of the Armenian Korea, Vietnam and Iraq.
In 1975, the organization purchased a build- “We dedicate our efforts to both the living and
Genocide Memorial project, which will soon
place a remarkable monument at Lowell City ing and named it the Sam Manoian Post, hon- the dead. By honoring our youth, we’re investoring a devoted past commander. Ten years ing in the future of this country.”
Hall.
Many members of that organizing committee
Health Care Professionals Learn about
Effective Medical Education in Armenia
HEALTH CARE, from page 5
Yerevan State Medical University in 2008
and Republican Scientific Medical Library in
2012,” noted Greenberg.
He also discussed real-time teletraining he
provided for the RSML librarians with Skype
desktop sharing. AAHPO supports the
HyBridge Telehealth program, which remotely
connects Armenian doctors with medical
experts here in the US. AAHPO also supports a
Continuing Medical Education program for doctors located in remote Armenian villages.
Greenberg’s distinguished career in Library
Science has included numerous scholarly publications. At Yale he is the project co-director, Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library. He
teaches Library Science, Medical Librarianship,
Consumer Health Librarianship and Advanced
Reference, part-time for San Jose State University
and Southern Connecticut State University.
Yaghjyan spoke about “Evidence Based
Medical Education: Myths and Realities.” He is
former Vice Dean of Yerevan State University
Medical School and Associate Professor, and is
currently
visiting
Boston
University
Medical School as a Fulbright Scholar.
Yaghjyan also is a widely published medical
and academic leader, as well as a highly trained
surgeon. As a plastic surgeon with a specialty in
reconstructive microsurgery, Dr. Yaghjyan
helped to develop the plastic surgery program
at YSMU.
“This was my second presentation to
AAHPO members,” noted Yaghjyan. “I find
AAHPO health care professionals to be inquisitive and dedicated to improving health care in
Armenia by generously sharing information and
ideas with their colleagues in Armenia.”
OBITUARY
Dr. John Sarkis Manuelian
WINCHESTER, Mass. — Dr. John Sarkis
Manuelian died on October 3.
He was a clinical professor of internal medicine at Boston University Medical School. As a
captain the USAF, he was Chief of Medicine for
the Tactical Air Command at New England Air
Force Base in Alexandria, LA.
He was the husband of Lucille (Kuludjian)
Manuelian. He was the son of the late Sarkis
and Margaret (Nanian) Manuelian and brother
of the late Harold and Haigoohi Manuelian,
Zabel and Ross Ajemian and Lucille and Greg
Boyajian. He was the brother-in-law of Marian
Felegian and the late Peter, Vivian Karaian and
the late George. He also leaves seven nieces and
nephews and their spouses and 15 greatnephews and great-nieces and three great-greatnephews and great-great-nieces.
Services were conducted at St. Stephen’s
Armenian Apostolic Church, 38 Elton Ave.,
Watertown on Tuesday, October 8. Interment
was in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge.
Expressions of sympathy may be made in his
memory to St. Stephen’s Armenian Church or
the Armenian Heritage Foundation, 25
Flanders Rd., Belmont, MA 02478.
Donation
In memory of their cousin, Alice Mulkigian Melkonian, Sonia Ketchian, Philip Ketchian and
Elsa Ronningstam Ketchian have donated $100 to the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.
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COMMUNITY NEWS
One Priest’s
Mission in
Armenia
By Tom Vartabedian
WHITINSVILLE, Mass. — When it comes to
performing mission work in Armenia, look no
further than Rev. Archpriest Aram Stepanian. In
fact, look again, and maybe several other times.
The affable pastor of Soorp Asdvadzadzin
Church has made the country his second home
and embraces the population he serves so religiously and profoundly in the name of salvation.
He visits there 3-4 times a year, often with his
wife Margaret and family by his side.
If it isn’t operating a summer camp for
orphans in July, it’s taking feeble tin shacks and
turning them into respectable dwellings for the
indigent. Over the past 15 years, 175 homes
have either been constructed or refurbished.
“Lately, we’ve been purchasing flats and turning them into comfortable living quarters to
meet the pressing need,” he says. “Donations
are often slow and volunteers are not easy to
find but we somehow manage through God’s
help.”
Greenhouses are also erected to supply
resources and a livable standard of life. His
mantra may be “The Voice of the Armenian
Church.” In reality, it’s the actions of an individual who cares enough to do his very best.
“The greenhouses were a complement,” he
concluded. “If you build a resource, people will
benefit.”
And let’s not forget the Agape meal in
Echmiadzin he has been serving up to the elderly for the past six years. The guest list ranges
from 70-75 and here again, volunteers kick in.
More appropriately, they call it the “love meal.”
In the end, it’s creating a better world for
those who need it most.
“It’s been a desperate calling to which I have
answered as a conscientious Armenian priest,”
says the 76-year-old. “Some people might call it
a mission. I refer to it as a labor of love.”
The summer camp for orphans was organized
four years ago. Each July, the priest and his
corps of volunteers take to a place called
Tsaghkadzor. It is located 50 kilometers north
of Yerevan on the southern slope of the
Teghenis Mountains near Lake Sevan.
The area is known for its ski slopes, a place
where Olympic athletes train and refine their
skills. Somewhere in the miasma is this camp
operated by the University of Yerevan where 50
destitute children arrive each year to spend a
week of solidarity and comfort.
Their director is affectionately called “Brother
Aram.” He prefers the informality. To them,
they’re like his own kids.
The children range in age from 10-16 and
more than half differ from year to year. They are
chosen by the Eastern Prelacy and are desperately in need of care. Fun complements their
enrollment.
The $10,000 it takes to fund the project annually is raised through sister churches, private
contributions and businesses. No shortfall is so
big that it cannot be met through persistence.
“Because the children are coming from broken homes, with no father or mother, we’re able
to create a big family atmosphere for them
where they would experience comfort, love, compassion and care,” he maintains.
“At the same time, we spread the word of
God, teach them the Scriptures and history of
the church. Baptizing 15 children is only one of
my highlights. The gratitude shown is another,”
Stepanian added.
Two counselors who were literally taken off
the streets wound up becoming public accountants. Others served with the military in
Artsakh.
“I find myself getting motivated when I see
lives being changed drastically,” he confirms.
“They come to us under dire circumstances and
we get them back on track in God’s world. The
tears we shed are often tears of joy and comfort.”
One year, the good deed took a bad toll, sending him to the hospital. Recovery was imminent
and he was back on the job with bare-handed
initiative.
They tell him there are no funds available. So
he goes out and raises his own. The cost of
building supplies have soared over the years. No
matter. The priest finds a way.
It has only been 14 years before he was
assigned a church. Since then, Soorp
Asdvadzadzin has been his home. Prior to that,
he was a preaching deacon, traveling the world.
One year, Stepanian took 22 volunteers from
his community to Armenia. Sixteen of them
were from one family, the Zartarians of Boxboro.
They to personally help build the home which
was dedicated in memory of Garbis Zartarian.
“For 14 days, these energetic people worked
diligently in the oppressive 105-degree heat,” he
recalled. “So many times, I tried to pull them
aside to protect them from heat stroke. They
wanted to be left alone to finish their work.”
The Stepanians are a year away from celebrating their golden anniversary. They are parents to two children, Seta Mammola and Ara
Stepanian, with two granddaughters.
It was at St. Stephen’s Church in Watertown
that Stepanian spent 37 years as a deacon and
Sunday School superintendent before being
ordained in 1999 by Archbishop Oshagan
Choloyan.
Prior to that, his deacon years were shared
with a working life. The cleric worked as a car
dealer and auto body mechanic. He sold cars
and ran a rental business. There was the electronics side and a dry cleaning establishment.
The entrepreneur in him took a condemned
building in Watertown and transposed it into a
state-of-the-art enterprise with seven employees.
It has been 14 years since he first arrived in
Whitinsville, leading a flock of 160 members
best known for its eclectic picnics that attract
over 1,000. It’s a parish that sponsors some 15
students abroad through adulthood.
Much of his time is also rendered to the
Northbridge Association of Churches, working
with 11 non-Armenian parishes. Together, they
perform all phases of charity work toward a better community.
He was born in Der Zor, raised in Aleppo and
educated in Lebanon and England before arriving here in 1961 and securing a degree from
Gordon-Conwell Theological School in Wenham.
“I remember bringing earthquake victims
here for treatment and caring for their needs,”
he recalled. “It’s left an indelible image with
me.”
AGBU Donors Worldwide Raise More than $1 Million for Syrian Relief
RELIEF, from page 5
year, AGBU fully subsidized tuitions for 120 students who were continuing their education at
AGBU schools in Beirut. Currently in Armenia,
AGBU is assisting the Diaspora Ministry’s
Syrian-Armenians Relief Coordination Center
NGO and is forging a partnership with the
United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees to offer professional development programs to Syrian Armenians. These will include
language lessons in Eastern Armenian, English
and Russian, as well as web design courses.
Hundreds are expected to enroll, each of whom
will gain the knowledge and skills to support
themselves no matter what the uncertain future
brings.
AGBU is extending these lifelines to Syrian
Armenians with the support of its donors, members, chapters and Young Professionals (YP)
groups around the globe. Responding immediately and generously to AGBU’s appeal, many
individuals have repeatedly donated to the
Syria Emergency Relief Fund, as others organize their own grassroots fundraising campaigns. Events hosted by YP Athens, YP
Boston, YP Greater New York, YP Northern
California and YP Toronto have brought in
thousands of dollars, while the AGBU Toronto
Chapter, the AGBU France District, and the
AGBU Sao Paulo Chapter have set new
fundraising records, collecting over $40,000,
$25,000 and $9,000, respectively. Following
suit, AGBU Montreal has also pledged $10,000.
Even non-AGBU entities, such as the Armenian
Youth and Student Association of Austria, have
joined the cause.
Together, those efforts are making a difference
across the region, but resources are stretched
thin as Syria’s conflict persists. AGBU Central
Board member-and Damascus native Vasken
Yacoubian praised AGBU’s relief work, commenting, “AGBU was the first organization to
foresee the immediate and long term needs of
the Syrian Armenian community within and outside Syria, and to develop and implement an
effective response strategy. As the demands
change, so, too, does our approach: over the past
several months, we’ve expanded from Syria to
neighboring countries, going wherever we can
help. AGBU will do its utmost to sustain its
efforts for as long as needed. However, we need
more support than we ever could have imagined,
and are calling on AGBU members and
Armenians everywhere to continue giving-to let
the Syrian Armenian community know that they
are not alone and have not been forgotten.”
To learn more about AGBU’s humanitarian
work
for
Syrian
Armenians,
visit:
http://agbu.org/syriahumanitarianrelief/.
To contribute to the relief effort, visit:
https://donate.agbu.org/agbu-urgent-appeal.
To make a pledge by phone, call +1-855-AIDAGBU (243-2428) from Monday to Friday, 9 am
to 5 pm (EST).
Checks can be sent to, AGBU Syria
Emergency Fund, 55 East 59th St., New York,
NY 10022. Indicate “Emergency Humanitarian
Father Zareh assesses the damage to the St.
Kevork Armenian Orthodox Church in Aleppo’s
Midan district after a severe fire in October
2012.
8
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COMMUNITY NEWS
All Eyes on Ernie:
Dr. Ernest Barsamian Receives Medal from Armenian Government,
Is Feted at AUB Alumni Gala at Boston University
Thoracic Surgery, chair of Surgical Services and
chief of staff at the Boston Veterans
Administration Medical Center. He was the senior
consultant to the New England VA regional director and consultant in cardiac surgery to the
Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a diplomat
of the American Board of Surgery, among others.
He was the first Armenian foreign graduate to
get accepted to the Harvard Surgical Residency
Program at Boston City Hospital in 1956. He
retired in 2000.
In 1963 he was appointed chief of
Cardiothoracic Surgery at the West Roxbury VA
Medical Center. He started the Open Heart
Surgery Program, which was
the first among the 170 hospitals of the Department of
Veterans Affairs and the third
in New England. He e
became chief of all surgical
services in 1972, chief of
staff of the hospital, supervising all the clinical programs
in 1978 and chief of staff of
the Brockton/West Roxbury
VA Medical Center, which
became a major Harvard
teaching hospital, in 1983.
He became an associate
dean of Harvard Medical
School in 1984 and a full professor in 1988. He became
the faculty dean of the medical school in 1992.
He has won dozens upon
Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian at Harvard with Dr. Ernest
dozens of awards, but he said
Barsamian at the medal ceremony
he was exceptionally proud
of the Ernest Barsamian
BARSAMIAN, from page 1
As consecutive speakers pointed out at the
Saturday gala, Barsamian’s achievements would
have been impressive for anyone. However, for
Barsamian, 87, growing up poor in Aleppo, Syria,
the beautiful campus of AUB in Beirut was a
dream, as were the hallowed halls of Harvard
Medical School.
Barsamian’s accomplishments are numerous.
He was professor of surgery at Harvard Medical
School. At the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), he invented one of the early
heart-lung machines. He was faculty dean at
Harvard Medical School, chair of Cardiac and
From left, Ambassador to the US Tatul Markarian, Dr. Ernest Barsamian, Foreign Minister Eduard
Nalbandian, Sonig Kradjian and Jackie O’Neill
Olympic Journey an Uphill Quest for Skier
SKIER, from page 5
The hype has already fueled “Go Arman” T-shirts and “Armenia Ski Team” scarves.
Serebrakian has been on the public radar since his collegiate skiing days at the University
of San Francisco. He was one of four athletes to represent Armenia 2010 along with
Nersisyan, Sergei Mikaelian and Kristine Khachatryan.
Given the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s participation in the World Olympics as an independent country, the exposure has added incentive for Serebrakian and his teammates. He
says he will stop at nothing to realize his dream.
Serebrakian said his role models are Joe Almasian and Kenny Topalian who competed for
Armenia in the bobsled competition during that inaugural year of 1994 in Lillehammer.
“I’m so focused on reaching this goal — so hungry — that I look at it as something necessary to reach my potential,” he said. “Ski racing has long been a part of my life and I intend
to bring it to the homes of Armenians everywhere.”
To donate to Serebrakian’s Olympic funding, visit www.armanserebrakian.com or on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ArmanSerebrakianRoadToSochi.
Michael Lawson, the recently retired director of the VA Boston Healthcare System and Dr. Ernest
Barsamian embrace.
Auditorium at the VA, with the letters in the
crimson of Harvard. Others, he said, included the
Meritorious Service Award by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs and the Plaque of Valor from the
Congressional Medical of Honor Society, as well
as the Exceptional Service Award by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
The president of AUB, Peter Dorman, had
been scheduled to attend the program but cancelled at the last minute due to political instabil-
ity in the region. He issued a message, read by
university trustee Dr. Joseph Martin.
In his statement, he praised the New England
Alumni Chapter “for your excellent efforts in
raising funds for scholarships. AUB’s annual.
financial aid program has grown tremendously in
the past dozen years. In 2001, it was only $2.6
million and last year it reached almost $22 million. This remarkable achievement has constituted an historic effort, thanks in large part to peo-
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9
COMMUNITY NEWS
From left, Jasmine Chobanian, Dr. Aram Chobanian, Dr. Joseph Martin, Dr. Ernest Barsamian and
Sonig Kradjian, in front of a painting of Dr. Aram Chobanian
ple like you, and we will continue toward our ultimate goal of being able to make an AUB education a possibility of all those who have worked
hard enough to qualify for admission, but are
blocked only by financial constraints.”
This sentiment applies directly to Barsamian,
who himself was able to attend the university
only through a scholarship.
Barsamian finished high school at age 15 in
Aleppo, and started attending Aleppo College, a
junior college. “I dreamt that one day I could
attend AUB,” he recalled, adding that instead,
after that first year, he worked for four years to
support his family. He was finally able to enroll
at AUB in 1946 through a scholarship given by
Harry Dorman, then president of AUB and
grandfather of Peter Dorman.
Opening the AUB program was Dr. Raja
Sayegh, president of the New England chapter,
who praised the evening’s honoree. “We stand
on the shoulders of giants like him,” said Sayegh,
adding that Barsamian happens to be the founding president of the New England chapter of the
AUB alumni. He said the goal of the chapter and
others around the world is to raise funds to help
students attend a university that “for 150 years
has been impacting the region in a positive way.”
Jeffrey Karam, vice president of the New
England alumni chapter, who is a PhD candidate
at Brandeis University, delivered the keynote
address.
He spoke fondly about AUB and the achievements of its alumni worldwide. “Tonight is your
the financial support of AUB. Just like Ernie,
many young bright minds need our help,” Karam
said. “The world needs more Ernies and together we can make that happen.”
He implored everyone to make donations to
the AUB scholarship fund, so that students in
that unstable region do not have to worry about
inflation and can instead look toward a brighter
future.
Handing Dr. Ernest Barsamian his trophy, from left, Dr. Raja Sayegh, Barsamian and Dr. Joseph
Martin
opportunity. He was willing to take a chance,” he
said. “It is the legacy of all great leaders. He sees
things in people that they themselves don’t.”
Charness also praised the education provided
by AUB, noting that every chief of surgery at the
VA was a graduate of the school. He noted, however, that it was not a case of AUB graduates
helping each other, rather “they achieved their
legacy because they were so good.”
From left, Sonig Kradjian, Rouben Shugarian and Dr. Ernest Barsamian
“Ernie held the reigns of power for most of his
career with dignity, honor and distinction,”
Charness said, adding that he helped several staff
members to develop their careers and go on to
great careers.
Said Michael Lawson, the recently retired
director of the VA Boston Healthcare System,
“He is the warmest man I have ever met. And he
is the best man in the medical field,” he said,
sharing a tight hug with the honoree. “Ernie
Barsamian has lived. He has created action and
passion in his time.”
Another speaker, old friend and colleague Dr.
Aram Chobanian, president emeritus of Boston
University and dean emeritus of the Boston
University School of Medicine, said he first met
Ernie, as he was called throughout the night by
the speakers, when he came to Boston City
Hospital. He spoke briefly and then sang a short
song he had written for the occasion, as he said
he now has time to indulge his hobby of music.
Dr. Joseph Martin, a member of the AUB Board
of Trustees and dean emeritus of the Harvard
Medical School, spoke about his 30-year ties with
AUB. Martin praised the connections formed
between Boston University and Harvard medical
schools, which “came together in [providing] clinical care” at the VA hospital in Boston. He praised,
especially, that those were two separate, private
universities, which could only come up with this
collaboration “through leadership like Ernie’s.”
He noted that the West Roxbury VA is the topranked veterans’ hospital in the country. “I thank
you, Ernie, for your leadership and support.”
The honoree, in his comments thanked the
assembled for their kind words. “The award I am
getting is a very special one, as it is from my fellow alumni of AUB, that we all love and cherish
so much.”
He spoke about his late wife, whom he had
met there as a student and his pain and her passing from cancer. He noted, however, that these
past eight years, he has been restored again by
meeting his “best friend,” V. Sonig Kradjian. He
also thanked his children. “I couldn’t ask for a
better immediate or extended family.”
“I am very proud to have improved healthcare
for our deserving veterans,” Barsamian said.
In an interview after the program, Barsamian
credited some opportune chances that came his
way, noting that he knew he needed to jump on
them.
The members of the gala organizing committee were: Tamar Chamassian Kouspakian, Roula
Chahine Rayyad, Joanne Gholmie, Nicole
Babikian Hajjar, Gheed Amara Itani and Sana
Tannoury Karam.
Chapter Leadership Team members with the honoree, from left, Michel Fayad, Dr. Raja Sayegh, Akl
Fahed, Dr. Ernest Barsamian, Tamar Chamassian Kouspakian, Jeffrey Karam and Salim Chahine
chance to get back to our beautiful alma mater.
We have had our fair share of an AUB experience, at a campus that has changed the lives of
many in this room,” Karam said.
He told the story of Barsamian’s life, how as a
child growing up in Aleppo, higher educaiton
was not even supposed to be in the cards.
Instead, he said, Barsamian became someone
“who improved the lives of everyone that he
came into contact with. He inspires many of us
though it would not have been possible without
Another speaker, Dr. Michael Charness, who
had been recruited by Barsamian at the VA
Hospital as a staff neurologist in 1989 and
served as chief of neurology at the BrocktonWest Roxbury VA and the VA Boston Healthcare
System. He praised Barsamian for being both
proactive and smart, praising Barsamian as
someone who knew how to treat patients as well
as how to teach students.
“I came to the West Roxbury VA in 1989. I
came because Ernie Barsamian gave me an
From left, Sonig Kradjian, James and Marta Batmasian and Dr. Ernest Barsamian
10
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Arts & Living
Forced Turkification, AntiSemitism and Lobbying
Against Recognition of
Armenian Genocide
Addressed by Rifat N. Bali
TORONTO — Against the background of the
ongoing tensions in the Middle East, scholar
Rifat Bali discusses the Jews of Turkey, one of
the key elements in the strategic relationship
between Israel and Turkey. His recent book,
Model Citizens of the State: The Jews of
Turkey during the Multi-Party Period
(Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2012),
describes the struggle of Turkish Jews from
1950 to the present for their constitutional
rights, their fight against anti-Semitism and the
attitude of the Turkish establishment to these
problems. It details the Turkish-Jewish leadership’s involvement in the lobbying efforts on
behalf of the Turkish Republic against the
acceptance of resolutions in the US Congress
recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The book
gives insight into the situation of all minorities
in Turkey today.
Marc David Baer, author of The Donme:
Jewish Converts, Muslim Revolutionaries, and
Secular Turks said about the book, “With the
publication of the highly original Turkish Jews
in the Republican Years, Rifat Bali established
himself as the leading authority on Turkish
Jewry.”
Julia Phillips Cohen, assistant professor of
modern Jewish history at Vanderbilt University
said, “Model Citizens of the State is carefully
researched, clearly written, and persuasively
argued. It narrates masterfully the complex history of Turkish Jews’ relationship to the modern Turkish Republic, exposing the tightrope
act they have often undertaken as they moved
between the position of suspect and model
minority. Bali’s monumental book promises to
become the ultimate reference work on Jews in
twentieth-century Turkey for a long time to
come.”
Bali is an independent scholar specializing in
the history of Turkish Jews and an associate
member of the Alberto-Benveniste Center for
Sephardic Studies and the Sociocultural
History of the Jews (Ecole Pratique des Hautes
Etudes/CNRS/Université Paris-Sorbonne). He
is the winner of the Alberto Benveniste
Research Award for 2009 for his publications
on Turkish Jewry.
Bali’s appearances will take place at the following venues on the following dates: Columbia
University, Hamilton Hall Room 703, 130
Amsterdam Avenue at 116th Street, New York,
Monday, October 14, 8 p.m., organized by the
Zoryan Institute with the participation of
Armenian Society of Columbia University; St.
Leon Armenian Church, 12-61 Saddle River
Road, Fair Lawn, NJ, Tuesday, October 15, 7:45
p.m., organized by the Zoryan Institute, with
the participation of the Armenian National
Committee of NJ, Armenian Network of
America – Greater NY, National Association for
Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), New
York Armenian Students Association, St. Leon
Armenian Church, Tekeyan Cultural
Association, Tibrevank Alumni; Brookline
Public Library, Main Library, 361 Washington
St., Brookline, Mass., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 7
p.m., organized by the Zoryan Institute, with
the participation of the National Association for
Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) and
Temple Isaiah; NAASR, 395 Concord Ave.,
Belmont, Mass., Thursday, October 17, 8 p.m.,
organized by the Zoryan Institute, with the participation of the National Association for
Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR);
Bolsahay Community Centre, 2855 Victor Doré,
Montréal, Québec, Sunday, October 20, 7:30
p.m., organized by the Zoryan Institute, with
the participation of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union of Montreal, the Armenian
National Committee and the Bolsahay Cultural
see TURKIFICATION, page 12
Arpa
International
Film Festival
Announces
Winners
A still from the film “Toastmaster”
‘Toastmaster’
Brings Tradition
To Life
LOS ANGELES — When Spanish filmmaker, Eric Boadella, experienced the
ancient Armenian tradition of the tamada or toastmaster, “It was love at first sight,”
he said.
From this initial reaction, Boadella found the inspiration to create the family-centered comedy-drama, “Toastmaster,” which recently premiered during the 27th Wine
Country Film Festival, in Sonoma, Calif. The film tells the story of Uncle Kapriel who
decides to teach his adult nephew, Alek, the family tradition of toastmaster, just in
time for his mother’s wedding. But Kapriel does not expect Alek to uncover his
uncle’s secret past.
Boadella was attending a social gathering
when
he encountered his first Armenian
By Gabriella Gage
toastmaster. The tamada not only offers the
Mirror-Spectator Staff
traditional toast at a wedding or celebration,
but serves as the master of ceremonies,
directing other speakers and adding his personal flavor along the way. It could be
the respected family elder, or the uncle who has a knack for storytelling, along with
a sense of humor to entertain an entire family, or anyone up to the challenge.
Boadella explained,
“I
immediately
admired this poet and
master of improvisation. Almost magically,
with each lyrical and
clever toast, he eternalized the moment
and shared the joy
with his loved ones.”
Inspired by the art
form, Boadella said,
“That night I realized
the toastmaster and I
shared the same
vision. Although I use
different tools than he
does, cinematography
and actors instead of
poetry and vodka, the
ultimate goal is the
same: to immortalize a
story. My admiration
for the toastmaster
was my catalyst for
writing this humanistic story between two
characters from two
very different generations: Uncle Kapriel, the toastmaster and his nephew, the collector of stories.”
Boadella, a native of Barcelona, had no previous involvement with the Armenian
community, but discovered a new-found respect for the rich Armenian cultural history and made friends in the community along the way.
see TOASTMASTER, page 11
LOS ANGELES — The 16th Annual
Arpa International Film Festival concluded Sunday, September 29, with their
annual Awards Ceremony and Closing
Night Gala Reception at the Egyptian
Theatre in Hollywood.
Following the screening of Robert
Hatch’s western drama, “Masque,” Arpa
International Film Festival director Alex
Kalognomos took center stage to host the
closing night awards ceremony.
Kalognomos said, “This year we were
proud to host over 60 films from 30 countries around the world. We laughed, cried
and debated as we watched the filmmaker’s visions unfold on the screen of the
Egyptian Theatre. Arpa is proud to have
hosted these films and applauds each and
every one of 2013 filmmakers.”
Colombian star Valentina Rendon (Allá
Te Espero) was the first presenter of the
evening to announce the Jury prize for
Best Music Video. Capital Cities’ “Safe
and Sound” (US) directed by Grady Hall
won the top honor. Accepting the award
was Capital Cities’ own Sebu Simonian,
who was on hand to accept the award.
British-born actor/producer/director
Sebastian Siegel (“Love Sex God, Part 1:
Awakening World”) then took the stage
to present the Jury prize for Best Short
Film to “Subhuman” (UNTERMENSCH)
(US), directed by Michael Aloyan.
Siegel also presented the first special
honor — The Silver Lens — in recognition
of filmmakers who take extraordinary
measures to pursue the important stories
of the day to documentarian Matthew
VanDyke for his short “Not Anymore: A
Story of Revolution.” VanDyke was previously announced as the recipient of the
Armin T. Wegner Award although the festival felt the Silver Lens award better
exemplified the nature of VanDyke’s story
and how he brought it to life.
“Venezzia” director and 2009 Arpa
International winner Haik Gazarian was
next up awarding the Jury prize for Best
Documentary to director Heather
Winters for “Two The Story of Roman &
Nyro” (US).
Australian singing sensation Vassy
whose song, We Are Young, topped the
charts earlier this year presented the
Audience Award to “Abstraction” (US)
written, produced and directed by Prince
Bagdasarian.
Arpa co-producer Michael Ashjian introduced a film retrospective for the
Breakthrough Filmmaker of the Year
recipient Sev Ohanian (“Fruitvale
Station”).
Jury members Howard Rosenman, Felix
Pire and Sev Ohanian gave the final Jury
awards for Best Director to Ruben Kochar
for “My Name Is Viola” (Armenia); Best
Screenplay winner Christopher Cardiff for
“Always Faithful” (US); Best Feature
award “The Power of Few” (US) and the
film’s producer Roy Kurtluyan.
Arpa’s head and founder Sylvia
Minassian thanked everyone who made
the festival successful this year before
honoring actor Sid Haig with the Lifetime
Achievement Award for a career spanning
more than five decades.
S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 3
T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
11
ARTS & LIVING
Toastmaster Brings Tradition to Life
TOASTMASTER, from page 10
His own relationship with film began at a
young age. He noted, “I was amazed and
intrigued by film since the first time I saw a
movie in a theater: ‘Indiana Jones and the
Temple of Doom.’ I’ll never forget the evil
man removing hearts using his hands… I was
just a kid!”
From a childhood appreciation for “Dr.
Jones,” to a discovery of a passion for producing art, Boadella began creating music
videos for songs The Bags, Serge Le Bonobo
and Dancin’ like Robots and received awards
at several festivals. He also experimented
with narrative and cinematography, creating
a number of short films. “‘Toastmaster’ was
my first attempt to tell a story as best as I can
in a classic narrative form,” he said.
“Toastmaster” was shot entirely in the Los
Angeles area. While Boadella was new to the
Armenian community, he made sure to
include actors who truly understood and
embraced the tradition and culture. The protagonists, David Hovan and Sevag
Mahserejian are Armenian, as well as, producer Martin Yernazian, producer manager
Nanor Abkarian, production designer Houri
Mahserejian, musical composer Ara
Dabandjian and several other members of the
cast and crew. “I was looking for three talented actors that didn’t need a transformation or a big effort to become the characters.
In other words: that they had a lot in common with the characters. So I could get a natural and spontaneous chemistry between the
characters and a great sense of realism in the
performances,” he explained. “I think this
was one of the keys of making ‘Toastmaster’
something special.”
Crowd-sourcing, via Indiegogo, supplied
the funding for “Toastmaster.” “We had more
than 200 contributors that made this film
possible,” noted Boadella. “Toastmaster” is in
English and Armenian with English subtitles,
Scene from “Toastmaster”
but with Armenian subtitles forthcoming.
The film will be making the rounds of the
international film festival circuit through
next spring. Boadella and producers are currently planning a film premiere in Los
Angeles and looking for a sponsor to aid in
organizing the event. “It will be a great event,
with the cast and crew and the Los Angeles
Armenian community is expecting to see the
film,” said Boadella.
As for Boadella, he is waiting for that next
inspirational moment and has several possible upcoming projects to choose from, with
another independent film likely on the horizon. “The experience with ‘Toastmaster;’ was
very positive, and I can’t wait to repeat the
experience with another feature-length film.”
For more information on “Toastmaster,”
screening announcements or to donate to the
film,
visit
the
film’s
website,
www.toastmastermovie.com or Facebook
page, www.facebook.com/toastmastermovie.
Director Eric Boadella
David of Sassoun Book Published
FRESNO — David of Sassoun: Critical
Studies on the Armenian Epic (The Press at
California State University, Fresno, 2013), 228
pages, is a collection of essays by the world’s
foremost scholars on the great oral epic of
Armenia.
Edited by Dickran Kouymjian and Barlow
Der Mugrdechian, David of Sassoun was published as the newest addition to the Armenian
Series of Fresno State’s Armenian Studies
Program. David of Sassoun is the fourth title
in the Armenian Series established through
The Press at California State University,
Fresno.
The essays, by Charles Dowsett, Kouymjian,
Aram Ter-Ghevondian, Earl R. Anderson,
Chaké Der Melkonian-Minassian, Frédéric
Feydit, Arpiné Khatchadourian, Aram
Tolegian, Chaké Der Melkonian-Minassian,
Vahé Oshagan, as well as an original poem on
David by Ashough Hovnani, were presented at
a symposium organized by Kouymjian the year
after he was invited to the campus to establish
a new program devoted to Armenian Studies.
Kouymjian has described it as Fresno’s contribution to the commemoration of the centennial celebration of the discovery and publication of the epic poem, which had survived
until the 1970s orally, passed on, generation
after generation, for more than a thousand
years by anonymous village bards.
Many scholars from Armenia, France,
England, Canada and the US who had published on the Armenian epic were invited to
participate in the International Symposium
entitled “David of Sassoun: The Armenian
Folk Epic after a Century.”
In addition to the papers of the conference,
the current volume contains an introduction
outlining the history of the epic as well as a
concise summary of all the episodes of the official version established by a team of scholars
in Erevan in 1939.
Also included at the beginning of the volume is a new variant, the only known version
of the epic recorded anywhere in the diaspora.
Because of the publicity generated by the symposium, Lilyan Chooljian of Fresno, who was
present at the conference, had recorded a
recitation of the variant some years earlier and
brought it to the attention of Kouymjian.
Thanks to a grant from the Dolores Zohrab
Liebmann Fund and the M. Victoria
Karagozian Kazan and Henry S. Khanzadian
Kazan Fund, and the efforts of Der
Mugrdechian to include the volume in the
Armenian Series of monographs the program
sponsors, the book is now available to the general public.
According to its editors, these critical essays,
which at times challenging traditional views
held on the epic and how it should be presented and understood, will provide much
source material for scholars.
David of Sassoun: Critical Studies on the
Armenian Epic is available from The Press at
California State University, Fresno through its
website http://shop.thepressatcsufresno.com.
12
T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 3
ARTS & LIVING
Shushi Dance Group to Have Premier Performance in Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Saints Sahag &
Mesrob Armenian Church will celebrate its
100 anniversary next year (1914 -2014). For
this occasion the church plans to provide a
few major cultural programs.
The first big event dedicated to the 100th
anniversary will take place on Sunday,
October 20. The Cultural Committee and the
Armenian Church Youth Organization of
America (ACYOA) branch have invited the
Shushi Armenian Dance Ensemble o New
York to have its first-ever performance in the
state. the premier performance in Rhode
Island. More than 65 dancers under
the leadership of Seta Paskalian-Kantardjian,
artistic director and choreographer, with
Andranik Mouradian, musical director,
Armen Hovhannisyan and Salbi Mailyan,
vocalists from California, will present a graceful program.
The Shushi Armenian Dance Ensemble,
under the auspices of the Saint Vartan
Cathedral in New York City, came into existence in 1992 as a small, young cultural
The Shushi Dance Ensemble in Aleppo
group. These past 20 years have proven to be
memorable for the ensemble under the astute
volunteer
leadership
of
PaskalianKantardjian. With the help of 100-percent volunteer individuals, the ensemble’s members
have performed on numerous occasions for
both Armenian and non-Armenian audiences
across the world, with great success. In July
2000, Shushi performed in Yerevan for an
international audience of 3,000 youth in
honor of the 1,700th Anniversary of
Armenia’s adoption of Christianity. As a result
of this performance, Shushi was featured in
the March 2004 issue of The National
Geographic. In addition, to name a few,
Shushi has performed to sell out audiences in
The Shushi Dance Ensemble in Beirut
Armenia, Middle East (Lebanon, Syria, and
Jordan), Los Angeles, Orlando, Canada,
Boston, New Jersey, New York, and last summer toured South America (Buenos Aires,
Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay). Most
recently, the Shushi Dance Ensemble was
admitted as a member of the International
Dance Council CID, the official umbrella organization, recognized by UNESCO, for all
forms of dance around the world.
The performance will be on Sunday,
October 20, at 3 p.m., Roberts Hall, Rhode
Island College, 300 Mt. Pleasant Ave.,
Providence. Tickets are now available at the
church office, The Deli, Sonya’s Market and at
the door on the day of the concert.
Prelacy and Diocese Hold Joint Program with Author Karanian in Conn.
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — More than 75 people
recently turned out to hear Matthew Karanian
talk about Armenia and Artsakh at a PrelacyDiocese event in New Britain.
The presentation by Karanian was organized by both of New Britain’s Armenian
churches — St. Stephen’s Armenian Apostolic
Church and the Armenian Church of the
Holy Resurrection. Karanian presented his
latest book, Armenia and Karabakh: The
Stone Garden Travel Guide.
He also showed photographs from historic
Western Armenia, and included a brief video
showing the September 8 performance of the
Badarak (Liturgy) at the Armenian Church of
the Holy Cross at Aghtamar.
Karanian was in historic Armenia last
month doing research for an upcoming book
Sponsor a Teacher in Armenia and Karabagh 2013
Since its inception in 2001, TCA’s ‘Sponsor
a Teacher’ program has raised over $563,000
and reached out to 4,440 teachers and
school workers in Armenia and Karabagh.
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helping them to educate the children, our future leaders. I would like to have
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Make check payable to: Tekeyan Cultural Association – Memo: Sponsor a Teacher 2010
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Your donation is Tax Deductible.
about the historic Armenian sites of Western
Armenia. He was at Aghtamar during the
Armenian church’s first baptism ceremony
there in nearly a century.
Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Garden
Travel Guide is now the top-selling Armenia
title in bookstores and on Amazon.com.
Further details are available online at
www.ArmeniaTravelGuide.com.
Karanian practices law in Pasadena, Calif.,
and is a native of New Britain. He will continue
his book tour on November 21, 22 and 24 in
Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, as a guest of
Canada’s Armenian Embassy and Hamazkayin
cultural organization.
Forced Turkification,
Anti-Forced Turkification,
Anti-Semitism Addressed
by Rifat N. Bali
TURKIFICATION, from page 10
Association of Montreal; Beth Tikvah
Synagogue, 3080 Bayview Ave., Toronto,
Ontario, Monday, October 21, 8 p.m., organized
by the Zoryan Institute, with the participation
of Beth Tikvah Synagogue and the Centre for
Israel and Jewish Affairs; AGBU Alex
Manoogian Centre, 930 Progress Avenue,
Toronto, Ontario, Tuesday, October 22, 7:30
p.m., organized by the Zoryan Institute, with
the participation of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union, the Armenian Missionary
Association of Canada, the Bolsahay Cultural
Association of Toronto, Daughters of VartanArtemis Ortyag #28, Holy Trinity Armenian
Church, Knights of Vartan-Alishan Lodge and
St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church.
For more information, contact the Zoryan
Institute.
S A T U R D A Y, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 3
T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
13
ARTS & LIVING
C A L E N D A R
MASSACHUSETTS
O CT O B E R 13 — S t s . Va r t a n a n t z A r m e n i a n Ch u r ch i n
Ch e l ms fo r d w il l ce l e b r a t e t h e 35t h a n n i v e r s a r y o f i t s
co n s e cr a t i o n . His Eminence Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern) will preside. Following divine
liturgy, ordination of sub-deacons and acolytes will be conducted. Fellowship reception at 1 p.m., followed by dinner
at 1:30 p.m. Donation $35. At the banquet the Primate
will present the St. Vartan Award to Patricia Amboian and
George Simonian, for their years of dedicated service to
the church. Advance reservations requested by September
25. Contact Rose Amboian at (978) 256-3430 or Patty
Kayajanian at (978) 937-9379.
O CT O B E R 16 — M e e t t h e A u t h o r : Ch r i s B o h j a l i a n d i s cus s e s N Y T i m e s B e s t s e l l e r S a n d ca s t l e Gi r l s , 7:30 p.m.
Winchester Town Moderator John Sullivan will introduce
the author. Free and open to the public; McCall Middle
School, 458 Main St., Winchester. Sponsored by
Winchester Reads, a volunteer-based town-wide “Read”
program.
O CT O B E R 18 a n d 19 — St . Ja m e s A n n u a l B a z a a r !
Delicious shish, losh, kheyma and more! Fabulous pastries, manti, kufte and toorshi! Children’s activities, vendors galore, farmer’s market. Fun! Friends! Family! 11
a.m. to 9 p.m., daily, at the church hall, 465 Mount
Auburn St., Watertown.
O CT O B E R 19 — H y e K e f 5, featuring Leon Janikian, Joe
Kouyoumjian, Greg Takvorian, Ken Kalajian, Bob
Raphalian and Jay Baronian, Haverhill, 7:30 pm., Michael’s
Function Hall, 12 Alpha St. Tickets $40, students $30.
Includes individually-served mezza platters. Proceeds to
benefit all Armenian churches in Merrimack Valley and
New Hampshire. Call either John Arzigian, 6-03-560-3826,
Sandy Boroyan, 978-251-8687, Scott Sahagian, 617-6993581, or Peter Gulezian, 978-375-1616. No tickets will be
sold at the door. For advance tickets, please call a committee member. Organized by Armenian Friends of
America.
O CT O B E R 20 — H o l y Tr i n i t y A r m e n i a n Ch u r ch ’s 52n d
A n n i v e r s a r y B a n q u e t ; Stewardship Sunday, immediately
following church services, Charles and Nevart Talanian
Cultural Hall, 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge. Honoring
“Parishioner of the Year,” Deacon Gregory Krikorian and
recognizing outgoing Parish Council members, Lt. Col.
Robert G. Lang, Jr., Richard Sahagian and Armen
Skenderian. Donation: $25 per person; seating by paid
reservation only. RSVP by October 15. For more info, contact the church office at 617-354-0632, office@htaac.org
or log onto www.htaac.org.
O CT O B E R 24 — K . Ge o r g e a n d Ca r o l a n n S . N a j a r i a n ,
M D L e c tu re o n H u ma n R i g h ts: I n O u r M i d s t : S l a v e r y
U n m a s ke d ; 7 p.m., Faneuil Hall, Boston, with keynote
speaker Siddharth Kara, director at the Carr Center
Program on Human Trafficking & Modern Slavery, Harvard
October 18 and 19, come enjoy the
St. James Armenian Church’s Annual
Bazaar. Delicious shish, losh, kheyma
and more. Fabulous pastries, manti,
kufte and toorshi. Children’s activities, vendors galore, farmer’s market. Fun! Friends! Family! 11 a.m. to 9
p.m. both days, 465 Mount Auburn
St., Watertown, MA.
raffles and raffles for cash and prizes. For more info, visit
our new website www.hyepointearmenianchurch.org or
call 978-372-9227.
N O V E M B E R 16 — A r m e n i a n W o m e n ’s W e l fa r e
A s s o ci a t i o n ( A W W A ) 38t h A n n u a l L u n ch e o n /
Au c t i o n , 11 a.m. at the Burlington Marriot, 1 Burlington
Mall Road. Event kicks off with a silent auction and bidding; Visa and MasterCard accepted, tickets $60. For
reservations, contact awwaauction@gmail.com.
N OV E M B E R 16 — S e co n d a n n u a l M e r D o o n B e n e fi t
D a n ce , 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., Charles Mosesian Cultural
and Youth Center, 465 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown.
Featuring John Berberian, Bob Mougamian, Mal
Barsamian and Bruce Gigarian. Mezza, dessert table and
more. Tickets: $40 adult, $30 student; for tickets and
table reservations, please call Mark at 617-256-5358.
D E CE M B E R 6 A N D 7 — Tr i n i t y Ch r i s t m a s B a z a a r, Friday,
3-9 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Holy Trinity
Armenian Church, 145 Brattle St., Cambridge.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
N O V E M B E R 3 — A ra ra t A r m e n i a n C o n g r e g a t i o n a l
Ch u r ch Ce l e b ra t e s 100 Ye a r s : 1913-2013. Join the historic Armenian American community of Southern NH for
a celebration lunch at Tuscan Kitchen restaurant, 67 Main
St., Salem; 1 p.m. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, contact janigian@comcast.net.
NEW JERSEY
Kennedy School of Government. For further information,
email info@ArmenianHeritagePark.org.
O CT O B E R 26 — Fa l l H a r v e s t B a z a a r, F i r s t A r m e n i a n
Chu r ch , 380 Concord Ave., Belmont. Noon – 8 p.m.
Armenian delicacies - manti, choreg, kufte and
more. Enjoy kebab dinners (lamb, beef or chicken with
pilaf and salad,) losh, boreg, paklava, pastries and more in
our festive hall or takeout.
617-484-4779, or
www.firstarmenianchurch.org. Handicapped and MBTA
accessible.
O CT O B E R 29 — J ul i a & t h e Z e r o u n i a n E n s e mb l e , in an
enchanting cabaret evening of songs from around the
world. 7:30 p.m., Regattabar, Cambridge. For information
and
reservations,
visit http://www.getshowtix.com/regattabar/moreinfo.c
gi?id=3031
N OV E M B E R 1 a n d 2 — 57t h A n n u a l St . S t e p h e n ’s
B a z a a r, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 47 Nichols Ave., Watertown.
Open to the public; lamb, losh and chicken kebab,
Armenian pastries, gourmet food, harvest store and silent
& live auctions.
N OV E M B E R 8 a n d 9 — A n n u a l A u t u m n fe s t B a z a a r
s p o n s o r e d b y t h e A r m e n i a n Ch u r ch a t H y e P o i n t e,
110 Main St., Haverhill, Friday 12-8 p.m. and Saturday, 127 p.m. Lamb, losh and chicken kebab and kheyma. Dinner
served all day. Pastry table, Armenian cuisine, gift basket
N OV E M B E R 23-24 – T C A M h e r M e g e r d ch i a n T h e a t r i ca l
Gr o u p celebrates 15th Anniversary with production of
Hagop Baronian’s “The Perils of Politeness”
(Kaghakavaroutyan Vnasneruh) directed by Gagik
Karapetyan from Armenia; Dwight Englewood High
School, 315 E. Palisade Ave., Englewood, NJ. Nov. 23,
Saturday at 8 p.m. and Nov. 24, Sunday at 4 p.m. For tickets; $50, $35, $25; call Marie Zokian (201)745-8850 or
Missak Boghosian at (212)819-0097 or (347)365-6985.
RHODE ISLAND
O CT O B E R 20 — P r o g ra m i n h o n o r o f t h e d e d i ca t i o n o f
t h e 100 a n n i v e r s a r y o f S t s . S a h a g & M e s r o b
A r m e n i a n Ch u r ch , with the Cultural Committee and
ACYOA presenting the Shushi Armenian Dance Ensemble
in a program titled “Song and Dance.. Seta Paskalian Kantardjian, artistic director
and Choreographer;
Andranik Mouradian, musical director, Armen
Hovhannisyan and Salbi Mailyan, vocalists from California.
3 p.m., Roberts Hall, Rhode Island College, 300 Mt.
Pleasant Ave., Providence. Donations: Adults $20,
Students $10, children under 12 free. Tickets available at
the Church office (401) 272 7712, The Deli (401) 461
4774, Sonya’s Market (401) 941 9300.
Book Review: Rev. Tootikian’s Keeping the Balance
Keepi ng the Balance By Rev. Dr. Vahan H.
Tootikian. Royal Oak, Michigan: Armenian
Heritage Committee, 2013. Pp. 160 ISBN 1891583-15-8. $25 plus $3.25 S&H.
By Philip Tavlian
A leading pastor of the Great Lakes state has
just published his 35th volume, a highly-readable compendium of inspirational essays in the
English and Armenian languages.
Rev. Dr. Vahan H. Tootikian — emeritus pastor of the Armenian Congregational Church of
Greater Detroit — has prepared a bilingual work
emphasizing “a balance between one’s personal
salvation and the social implications of one’s
religious experience.” As the author states in
his preface, “[W]ithout faith a person’s good
works are futile and without good works one’s
faith is dead.”
The English-language portion of the volume
comprises 31 articles divided into three sections — “Holidays and Observances,” “Views on
Issues” and “Armenian Issues.” The initial section includes thoughtful pieces relating to the
Advent and Lenten Seasons as well as
Independence Day in Armenia.
“Views on Issues” surveys the underpinnings
of the Christian faith, from the imperative of
outreach to the friendship and nonconformity
exemplified in the life of Jesus of Nazareth to
the distinctions between divine Knowledge and
human wisdom. Essays dealing with the pilgrimage of life — storms, weaknesses, good and
evil, love, rejection, prayer and religious education — are of special benefit to 21st Century
readers.
The section addressing Armenian issues eloquently examines theological diversity among
Armenian Evangelicals, the 98th Anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide, problems and solutions in the modern Republic of Armenia, the
2009 Armenia/Turkey Protocols and the interdependence of Armenia and the Diaspora.
The Armenian-language portion of the volume is entitled, “Nertashnagootyun” (meaning
“harmony”) and consists of ten articles dealing
with religious and patriotic subjects. The
author acknowledges that not “all Christians
and all Armenians think alike, feel alike, worship alike or act alike.” He nevertheless urges
that “in spite of their differences, they must
united and create harmony, much like a choral
group, with different voices blended together,
creating beautiful music.”
Balance is the rich literary harvest of a gifted scholar whose five and one-half decades of
Christian ministry have taken him from Beirut,
Lebanon and Damascus, Syria to pulpits in
Massachusetts and Michigan as well as to the
classrooms of Harvard University, Andover
Newtown Theological Seminary and the
University of Michigan.
Given recent tragic developments in the Near
East and other points around the globe, the
informed reader is well-advised to acquire this
estimable volume and keep it within arm’s
reach in the trying times ahead.
Inscribed copies may be ordered from the
Armenian Heritage Committee, 3922 Yorba
Linda Boulevard, Royal Oak, MI 48073-6455.
Entertainment Fridays
and Saturdays
14
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T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R
COMMENTARY
THE ARMENIAN
Mirror
Spectator
Established 1932
An ADL Publication
EDITOR
Alin K. Gregorian
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Gabriella Gage
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Aram Arkun
ART DIRECTOR
Marc Mgrditchian
SENIOR EDITORIAL COLUMNIST:
Edmond Azadian
CONTRIBUTORS:
Florence Avakian, Dr. Haroutiune
Arzoumanian, Taleen Babayan, Prof.
Vahakn N. Dadrian, Diana Der
Hovanessian, Philip Ketchian, Kevork
Keushkerian, Sonia Kailian-Placido,
Harut Sassounian, Mary Terzian, Hagop
Vartivarian, Naomi Zeytoonian
CORRESPONDENTS:
Armenia - Hagop Avedikian
Boston - Nancy Kalajian
Philadelphia - Lisa Manookian
Berlin - Muriel Mirak-Weissbach
Contributing Photographers:
Jacob Demirdjian, Harry Koundakjian, Jirair
Hovsepian
The Armenian Mirror-Spectator is published
weekly, except two weeks in July, by:
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COMMENTARY
Turkey Revamps Its Image
By Edmond Y. Azadian
Serving as a geopolitical bridge of NATO structure between
Europe and the Middle East, Turkey improved its economy
and international image to a point where Ottomanist ambitions were resurrected once more. The duo of Premier Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu were
credited with Turkey’s high-flying position.
As a scholar-diplomat, Foreign Minister Davutoglu had
begun to nurture and nostalgically portray the Ottoman
Empire, when subject nations lived “in harmony” and “brotherly love,” the Armenian Genocide and the bloodbaths from
the Balkans to North Africa not withstanding.
Fueled by the dynamics of a booming economy and the
hegemony forged with Israel in the Middle East, Ankara entertained visions of reshaping the region in a configuration
matching its dreams.
Davutoglu proudly proclaimed Turkey’s new policy of zero
problems with neighbors, which basically meant to force down
Ankara’s policies on its neighbors, under the umbrella of
NATO powers.
At this time, Mr. Erdogan’s “mildly” Islamist party, in power
for the last decade, had to put the brakes on its domestic and
foreign policy ambitions because it realized that it was biting
more than it could chew.
Despite the dramatic achievements in its economy, its
domestic policies hit some snags as revealed by the Gezi Park
demonstrations. Erdogan was smart enough to diffuse another potential problem — the Kurdish issue — which could bring
down his rule, if it had combined with the social unrest
sparked by an environmental issue and conflagrated throughout the country. Generally the Kurds abstained from any
action, waiting for the outcome of the Erdogan administration’s negotiations with the jailed leader of the Kurdish
Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Oçalan.
Erdogan’s personal ambitions and the ambitions of his
country are under a severe test at this moment; personally he
is gearing up for the upcoming presidential elections, during
which he would like to replace his erstwhile ally, President
Abdullah Gul.
He has proclaimed his reform package with the visible intent
of building domestic coalitions for a successful presidential
bid.
His “zero problem” foreign policy is in complete tatters,
because Ankara overextended itself to meddle in every neighbor’s internal problems, which backfired.
On September 30, Erdogan announced his package of
reforms, which were met with general discontent. The package
does not go enough to satisfy Kurdish aspiration. The Kurds
began their 30-year struggle for complete independence,
which meant the partition of Turkey. Oçalan realized that the
great powers would not allow the territorial disintegration of
an ally and he toned down his rhetoric to settle for cultural
self-determination, which meant in the first place, the use of
the Kurdish language. Erdogan’s package give only lip service
to that demand. It allows for the instruction of the Kurdish
language only in private schools, which very few Kurds can
afford. The terror laws, which cost the lives of 40,000 Kurds,
are still in place and Erdogan promises to dismantle them as
he plans to draft and adopt a new constitution. The new constitution will also lower the bar, allowing Kurdish representatives to be elected to the parliament.
The Kurds are dissatisfied and they have been grumbling
© 2011 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
Periodical Class Postage Paid at Boston, MA
and additional mailing offices.
about the withdrawal of armed guerillas from Turkish territory, the only guarantee to force the government to make concessions.
Turkey boasts a population of 75 million, of which 20 million
are Kurds. Another 20 million are Alevis, whose religious rights
have been completely trampled. Alevi ethnic pride has been
mostly awakened by neighboring Syria, where the Alevi rulers
are battling for their survival. Erdogan’s Sunni-dominated administration has ignored Alevi aspirations, planting a time bomb
under his reform package. While the Syriac Church has been
promised the return of some shrines, the Heybeli Island Greek
seminary remains closed and it is contingent upon some reciprocity with Greece. Turkey insists on opening two mosques in
Athens to consider the opening of the seminary.
The Ecumenical patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church
Bartholomew is the spiritual head of 300 million adherents,
yet Turkey refuses to recognize his title. If the seminary
remains shut, no young seminarians will be educated to
replace aging priests or the patriarch himself.
The same applies to the Armenian seminary as the Turks
have set up a trap; no foreign-born clergy can be elected Greek
or Armenian patriarch. And if their respective seminaries are
closed, they are doomed to extinction.
Turkey’s foreign policy is under intense scrutiny as most of
its promises and premises have failed; Turkey was in hegemonic alliance with Israel which afforded Ankara Western
powers’ full support. In an effort to win over the Arab and
Muslim sympathies, Ankara went too far with the Mavi
Marmara incident which still keeps the Israel-Turkey axis
under tension.
Erdogan’s gamble in Egypt backfired as he supported the
Muslim Brotherhood in the overthrow of President Mohamed
Morsi, while Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates supported the
military government, politically and through generous economic aid. Underneath that reaction, there was a rebuke by
Arab countries towards Erdogan’s pretentions to lead the
Sunni world.
Of course, there is no talk of solving the Cyprus crisis,
where Turkish occupation forces are well entrenched and a
demographic engineering is in progress with Anatolian peasants settling on the island.
Turkey’s involvement in the Syrian War resulted in a flood
of refugees into its territory and the rise of Kurdish autonomy
movement in Syria with the potential threat of a domino
effect, spilling over into Turkey.
Erdogan’s administration has realized that alliance with
Israel not only assures Western powers’ support, but also huge
potential of natural gas reserves that Israel has discovered
under its Mediterranean shores. Turkey is dependent on Azeri,
Russian and Iranian energy (the latter under sanctions) and
before Israel strikes a deal with Turkey’s arch-enemy, Cyprus,
it has to restore relations with the Jewish state to get a piece
of the pie and deny Cyprus a boost to its economy.
Ankara has also extended all the way to Beijing negotiatiating over air defense systems to the chagrin of NATO. Two
years ago Erdogan had accused the Chinese government of
Genocide in relation to an incident with the Uyghur minority.
Now it is extending its hand for a military deal.
The ill-fated protocols with Armenia remain frozen and there
is no hope of reviving them, although a former Turkish ambassador to the US has commented that Ankara needs to restore
its relations with Armenia to enhance its international image.
Thus far, Erdogan’s magic has worked domestically and
internationally. He has to prove his political mettle in the present challenges.
LETTERS
ISSN 0004-234X
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expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily
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Kevork Marashlian Will Be Missed
To the Editor:
Since we have known Enger Kevork
Marashlian for many years, it is most difficult to believe that he is retiring (as
announced in the Armenian MirrorSpectator’s September 7 issue) from his
positions with the ADL, Mirror and Tekeyan.
But we know that all good things come to
an end, with new ones in the horizon. Only
God will answer what is next in his life.
His invaluable contributions to the organizations have been felt here with us in New
Britain and especially with John and me. His
visits to our traditional Father’s Day picnics
and the many phone calls to him personally
for Mirror anniversary reservations etc.,
were very much appreciated. The special day
with Maritsa Ohanesian, and her receiving
proclamation at age 100 during the April
24th Genocide Commemoration program at
the State House in Boston on April 22, 2005
was unforgettable. All those arrangements
that Kevork brought to fruition pleased her
so much that she spoke of it to many people.
For the future, we wish him the best of
health to do some of the things that he
never had time for before.
We thank him many times over for all that
he has done for the ADL, Mirror and
Tekeyan to keep them alive and growing. He
is a “knight in shining armor” coming to
everyone’s rescue. Only those who are in
touch with him every day really know what
he has accomplished.
Until we see him personally, God Bless
him and keep him smiling and happy.
— John and Roxie Maljanian
Newington, Conn.
(Editor’s Note: All of us here agree with
these sentiments.)
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15
COMMENTARY
My Turn
By Harut Sassounian
European Court of Human
Rights Provides More Options to
Sue Turkey
While there is frequent talk about the pursuit of
Armenian claims against Turkey in the International Court
of Justice (World Court), the possibility of taking legal
action in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is
rarely mentioned, despite its distinct advantages.
The key difference between the two courts is that only
governments can file lawsuits in the World Court, while
any individual, group or state can take legal action in
the ECHR, giving Armenians countless possibilities for lawsuits
against
the
Turkish
state.
Litigants
before ECHR must first exhaust all domestic remedies and
be from one of the 47 member states of the Council of
Europe, which includes Armenia and Turkey.
It is not a coincidence that Turkey leads the list of countries being sued in ECHR, as in the last two and half years
alone, over 20,000 cases have been filed against that country. Contrary to popular belief, Turkey has no choice but to
comply with all ECHR judgments if it wants to maintain its
membership in the Council of Europe. This explains why
the Ankara government has diligently paid tens of millions
of dollars to litigants after losing hundreds of ECHR judgments.
A case in point is ECHR’s October 1, 2013 decision
against Turkey, in which the court awarded over 5 million
euros (close to $7 million) to two Greek brothers,
Ioannis Fokas and Evangelos Fokas, who live in Katerini,
Greece. The Turkish courts had barred them from inheriting their sister Polikseni Pistika’s buildings in Turkey
because of their Greek nationality.
In their lawsuit, the Fokas brothers claimed that “they
had been deprived of the ownership and use of three
immovable properties in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul,
namely three buildings and land, which they were entitled
to inherit from their sister.” The expropriated properties
consisted of an eight-story building worth 3.3 million euros,
a six-story building worth 1.4 million euros, and a fourstory building worth 400,000 euros, based on the appraisal
by an Istanbul real estate agency.
The ECHR found that the Turkish courts’ “refusal to recognize the applicants’ status as heirs constituted an interference with their right to peaceful enjoyment of their possessions and that such interference was incompatible with
the principle of lawfulness…. Accordingly, recognition of
the applicants as the heirs of Polikseni Pistika…would
place them in the position they would have been in, had
the State [Turkey] not expropriated the deceased’s property.… In those circumstances, an award of compensation for
the pecuniary loss seems to be the most appropriate just
satisfaction (see Nacaryan and Deryan vs. Turkey, no.
19558/02 and 27904/02, <<<<16-17, January 8, 2008).
The Court considers that such an award principally corresponds to the amount that the applicants could legitimate-
ly expect to have obtained as compensation for the loss of
their property, had there been a mechanism to request
such compensation.”
Based on the above ruling, the European Court awarded
the Greek brothers 5 million euros for their expropriated
real estate, as well as compensating them for their “anguish
and frustration which the applicants must have experienced over the years in not being able to use their properties.” The Court ordered the Turkish government to pay
the amount of the award to the applicants within three
months.
In the referenced Nacaryan and Deryan vs. Turkey
case, ECHR found that the Turkish courts had also violated the rights of Yeran-Janet Nacaryan and Armen
Deryan by claiming that as Greek citizens, they could not
inherit the property of their deceased relative in Turkey
“on the ground that the condition of reciprocity between
Greece and Turkey had not been met.” ECHR declared
Turkey guilty and awarded the two Greek-Armenian applicants a total of 500,000 euros.
At the international conference of Armenian lawyers held
in Yerevan last July, Constitutional Court Chairman Gagik
Harutunyan announced the formation of a committee of
experts to study the legal merits of filing a lawsuit against
Turkey to remedy the massive losses resulting from the
Armenian Genocide.
Given the fact that ECHR provides for European Council
litigants many more opportunities than the World Court,
the recently-formed Armenian committee of legal experts
should cast a wider net in considering the possibilities of
filing lawsuits against Turkey in the European Court of
Human Rights, as well as in national and international
courts.
A Tragedy That Should Shame Lebanon Government
The Enemy Is Amongst Us
Twelve years ago I wrote an article titled “Pulling the Plug on Turkish Music”
(Armenian Mirror Spectator, October 2001), the topic of which was Armenian musicians perpetuating a pseudo-Ottoman representation of Armenian music. The article
started with the following sentence:
“Upon entering the 21st century, the taboo subject of Armenian musicians playing
Turkish music to an unsuspecting and ignorant audience under the guise of the
music being Armenian, must be addressed.”
Twelve years later, this problem still exists, but in a different manifestation. The
issue then dealt with Armenians propagating Turkish Ottoman music. Today the
issue is Armenians propagating
Turkish-Azeri music. Rabiz (a misnomer of the abbreviation “rabis” from
By Martin Haroutunian
the Russian “rabocheye iskusstvo” or
workers’ art) was originally a genre of
urban folk music. According to the website rateyourmusic.com, “Rabiz is also a definition for a lifestyle and people with socially questionable behaviors that compromise
the Armenian culture. In the early 1990s rabiz became a popular genre for undemanding audiences. The quality of lyrics, vocals and music make rabiz a subject to
criticism.”
Since Armenia’s independence, a number of rabiz musicians such as Aram Asatryan,
Tatul Avoyan, Hayk Ghevondyan (Spitaktsi Hayko), etc., have blatantly taken Turkish
and Azeri songs and passed them off as Armenian. Some have even been seen performing such music with Azeri musicians, such as the infamous videos on YouTube of
Spitaktsi Hayko and duduk player Kamo Seyranian performing with Azeri singer Nasib.
Not only do they propagate Turkish and Azeri music, they also present it under the
guise of it being Armenian and are guilty of the Turkification of Armenian music, i.e.
taking Armenian music and embellishing it with Turkish melisma. Needless to say, there
is much uproar by Armenia’s artistic and intellectual community over this matter.
However, this problem continues to grow and has spread to our shores. On the West
Coast, the likes of Armenchik, Tigran and Artash Asatryan continue to spew their Altaic
yodeling.
This affliction has raised its ugly head on the east coast in the form of one Tigran
Avetisyan, a clarinetist who not only collaborates with Azeri musicians such as Elman
Namazoglu but also propagates Turkish Azeri music. One example is their rendition
of Getmeh, getmeh… (Don’t go, don’t go…) which can be found on Facebook and
YouTube. It is unfortunate that he can be allowed to perform on Armenian stages,
such as the Armenian Independence Day Festival which was recently held at the
Armenian Cultural and Education Center in Watertown on September 21.
One may ask, what’s wrong with this?
First of all, it gives the real enemy legitimate claims that Armenians are guilty of
plagiarism and second it is corrupting the true indigenous cultural heritage of the
Armenian people.
The irony, even to any semi knowledgeable Armenian, is that for centuries Turkic
peoples have coopted ancient, original Armenian melodies, shamelessly calling them
Turkish and/or Azeri. So for Armenian musicians to do the inverse is a double insult
– a slap in the face of past injustices, and a slap in the face of those artists who have
struggled to keep traditional Armenian music true to its origins.
Twelve years ago my article ended with the following sentence:
“It is our obligation to engender the cultural survival of our new generation by ending the irrational romantic entanglement with the Ottoman Turkish past forced upon
us centuries ago and reestablishing our rightful Armenian identity.”
Twelve years later all I have to say is “Get, get…” Go, go…
(Martin Haroutunian is a musician and resident of Watertown.)
By Robert Fisk
This is the story of how the Syrian war reached
out 5,000 miles across the globe and destroyed at
least 29 Lebanese lives in the Indian Ocean.
It is a story of tragic irony; the destitute
Lebanese families who wanted to live in Australia
and left their arid villages in the hills of the northern Akkar plateau had been warned by their relatives not to leave their homes, and they died just
off the coast of Indonesia.
And it is a story of a country whose authorities
take no responsibility for the deaths of their own
people.
The sinking of the overcrowded refugee boat
that set off from the Java district of Cianjur cannot
match the hundreds of fatalities of the north
African boat that sank off the Italian island of
Lampedusa, where up to 350 people are thought
to have died and divers were still recovering bodies from the Mediterranean.
These disasters do not match in terms of scale
of loss, but some features are the same: the desperation of the passengers to find a new life, the
involvement of ruthless people-smugglers, the
wooden hulks in which they sought illusory safety. What is different is the nationality of the
refugees.
For Lebanon — of all Middle East countries — is
a place of comparative security and wealth,
despite the Syrian conflict and the violence it has
brought to Beirut and Tripoli.
In some south-west Asian countries, television
advertisements warn would-be asylum seekers of
the fate that awaits them.
Scarcely an hour passes on an Afghan TV channel without an ominous man’s voice — against a
black screen — telling viewers in Dari (Farsi) and
Pushtu: “Australia is not a country to reach by
boat. If you attempt to go by boat, you will not be
allowed onto Australian territory. You will be sent
to the island of Papua New Guinea and will never
be allowed to live in Australia…”
No such warning has ever been broadcast on
Lebanese television. There seemed to be no need.
Unlike the anonymous victims off Lampedusa,
where there were too few coffins for the dead, the
Lebanese who lost their lives and drifted ashore
from the Indian Ocean have known identities.
Careful investigations by the local Lebanese
press have discovered their home villages: Qabaait,
Khreibet and Nabaa Fnaydaq, close to the Syrian
border, and the Tripoli suburb of Bab elTabbaneh, whose militias have been at war with
pro-Syrian gunmen east of the city for two years.
There are no schools in much of the Akkar
countryside, few hospitals, almost no jobs. The
young men have no money to get married. Many
of them are forced to join the Lebanese army in
order to survive.
The “outgoing” Lebanese government — elected in
a poll now hopelessly out of date — didn’t care.
Almost an entire family were lost from Qabaait. The
Khodr family’s only survivor was the father, Hussain,
whose wife and nine children all perished.
The remains of his wife and one daughter were
brought ashore. In Tripoli, the Gamrawy and Hraz
families lost their loved ones, while Talal Rai died
with his three children and his sister, Ahmed
Abdo, the father of Mustafa who was 24 — who is
still missing — borrowed $10,000 from his friends
to pay for the journey to Australia; the total cost
for each family was $60,000 to be paid to an Iraqi
smuggler.
Many relatives had begged the families not to
leave. Abdo told one local paper that “my son is one
of the good young boys who sought to live in peace.
The economic and security problems we have
suffered through forced him to emigrate and look
for peace of mind.” To the Lebanese government,
Abdo declared: “You should look after your people, and your country, and enough of your disputes.”
A photograph survives of the passengers aboard
their boat, sitting on rough, wooden benches in
the choppy seas off Java. The picture is spotted
with raindrops, but you can clearly see the
doomed Lebanese aboard.
One smiles broadly, another waves at the camera, most stare at the camera. Behind them is a
bleak, grey sky and a sinister, frothing sea. They
are only minutes from death.
We know that in the last moments, one
Lebanese used his mobile phone to call a relative
in Melbourne to seek help. The relative called the
Australian naval authorities, who later launched
helicopters and jets in a hopeless search for a boat
that had already sunk.
But when the scale of the Lebanese losses
reached Beirut — only 18 Lebanese survived —
their pseudo-government sprang into action.
It promised that survivors would be brought
home, and that all those whose bodies were found
would be brought back to be buried in the barren
soil of their own land.
In fact, they spent more time making pledges
about the dead than they did about the living. And
what does that tell you about Lebanon?
(Robert Fisk is a Middle East correspondent and
commentator for the Independent. This column
originally appeared in the paper’s October 8 edition.)
16
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40th Anniversary Celebration of Philadelphia TCA Honors Founders Dr. Diran and Koudsi Mikaelians
TCA, from page 1
Opening remarks were offered by Antoine
Bazarbashian, another founder and a leader of
the chapter from the chapter’s inception. He welcomed the guests of honor and pointed to the
fact that the unprecedented number of attendees
serves as testimony to the respect the Mikaelians
enjoy in the community. He then invited Mayis
Seapan, the evening master of ceremonies, to
open the program.
The cultural portion of the program was ushered in by a presentation of Vahan Tekeyan’s
poem, “The Armenian Church,” recited in the
original Armenian language by Mania Arabatlian.
It set the theme of the night — the perpetuation
of the Armenian cultural heritage by an inseparable bondage of the church and the nation.
Next, Rose Zartarian sang a cappella the popular
song Kez em menoum anoush karoun. Madelen
Gouchian was then invited to prove her multitalented versatility by playing the guitar and
singing a series of American country songs, most
likely her own compositions. All of the artists
were enthusiastically received by the audience.
The tribute to the guests of honor started by
Yeretsgin Angel Metjian, who lauded Koudsi
Mikaelian’s achievements in diverse areas: receiving university degrees in nursing, psychology,
sociology, English and international literature
and being a prolific writer of several books as
well as numerous articles in English and
Armenian. Her latest novel, Autumn Leaves, is in
Armenian and being currently presented and discussed publicly. She has been not only a cofounder of TCA of Philadelphia but also an active
executive member, an organizer of cultural and
literary programs.
Seapan then introduced the keynote speaker,
Dr. Haroutiun Arzoumanian of Montreal. A
retired medical doctor, he is currently the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tekeyan
Cultural Association, Inc. that represents a score
of TCA chapters in the US and Canada, headquartered in Boston. Arzoumanian has also carried various responsibilities in local parish and
diocesan councils in Canada, as well as in the
Armenian Democratic Liberal (ADL/Ramgavar)
party at local and district levels. He has been a
founder and assistant editor of the Abaka weekly of Montreal.
The speaker started with a brief address in
Armenian acknowledging the legacy of the
guests of honor, then continued in English, providing a brief overview of the history of the TCA
that was established in Beirut, Lebanon in 1947,
and subsequently spread to other Armenian com-
munities in the diaspora as well as Armenia, “to
provide hope and a vision to the Armenian youth
in the post-Genocide, Great Depression and
WWII gloomy years, aiming at the rejuvenation
and preservation of the Armenian cultural heritage,” he said.
Dr. Mikaelian graduated from the Faculty of
Medicine of the American University in Beirut,
Lebanon, in 1954 and became a respected ear,
nose and throat and neck surgery specialist. He
taught medical and nursing students at AUB and
became known in other Middle Eastern countries. He earned his American Board in ENT
from Johns Hopkins University and eventually
was invited by Philadelphia’s Jefferson Hospital
to head its ENT department. In 1972 he and an
old friend from Beirut, Prof. Parounag
Tovmassian, were conversing, when both
expressed concern about Armenian youth in
Philadelphia rapidly losing their cultural identity.
Tovmassian’s encouragement to establish a
Tekeyan Cultural Association in Philadelphia
soon became a reality led by the Mikaelians, with
Antoine Bazarbashian as “the third pillar, who
with other enthusiastic youth did the leg work in
organizing wonderful cultural and social programs. The Philadelphia chapter of TCA became
one of the most active chapters in US and
Canada, by weekly programs of traditional
Armenian cuisine, almost always topped by a cultural program,” said Arzoumanian.
He concluded, “The seeds sown 40 years ago
by the two professors were healthy seeds and the
ground was fertile.”
He wished the Mikaelians many more years of
good health and continued service to humanity
and the Armenian nation.
At the end of the program, Dr. Mikaelian was
presented with the catalog of The Gospels of
Gladzor illuminated manuscripts (in English),
while his wife was presented with a bouquet of
flowers.
The formal part of the evening was closed by
the blessings and appreciation of the pastor of
the church Rev. Oshagan Gulgulian.
The celebration continued with music, dance
and socializing.
— H.A.
Anniversary Banquet of
Holy Trinity Church to
Honor Gregory Krikorian
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Deacon Gregory
Krikorian will be honored as the “Parishioner
of the Year” on Sunday, October 20 in the
Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall.
Divine Liturgy will be at 10 a.m., presided
over by Archbishop Yeghishe Gizirian. Guest
Celebrant will be Very Rev. Krikor Maksoudian.
“This year our banquet will honor a
Parishioner of the Year who has shown
unprecedented devotion to the altar of the Holy
Trinity parish,” stated Rev. Vasken Kouzouian.
“Especially meaningful will be having a former
pastor of Holy Trinity, Archbishop Yeghishe
Gizirian, preside and offer the sermon of the
day, and as guest celebrant, the Very Rev. Fr.
Krikor Maksoudian, son of the pastor, the Rev.
Fr.
Papken
Maksoudian, who
brought Greg to our
altar nearly 50 years
ago. Also on this
day, we will remember His Beatitude
Archbishop Torkom
Manoogian,
Armenian Patriarch
of Jerusalem, of
blessed memory, in
our
Requiem
prayers on the first
anniversary of his
eternal rest, and Gregory Krikorian
Father Papken and
Y e r e t z g i n
Azadouhie Maksoudian on the first anniversary
of Fr. Papken’s eternal rest.”
Krikorian has served on the altar every
Sunday for almost 50 years. He was ordained
a tbir by the Archbishop Mampre Calfayan in
1957. Chairman of the Holy Trinity Church’s
Choir since 2008, he also served as chairman
from 1988 to 2001. For more than 40 years,
he was a member of the Association of
Armenian Church Choirs of America
(AACCA), now the Sacred Music Council. He
co-chaired the 46th Annual Assembly of the
AACAA hosted by Holy Trinity and served as
Assembly Coordinator of the 52nd Assembly.
He received the Norman Noorjanian Award
from the AACCA in 2005.
Last year, Krikorian chaired the 100th
Anniversary of Holy Trinity Church’s Choir.
He is an active member of the Holy Trinity
Men’s Union and was elected a Diocesan
Delegate in 2000.
Krikorian is a registered Professional
Engineer in Massachusetts and is a retired
employee of the Department of Defense.
Krikorian and his wife Carol (Pierannunzi)
have two children — Lisa Wentzell and her husband, Scott, and Gregory Krikorian and his
wife, Lisa — and five grandchildren, Scotty, Ella,
Luke, Ruby and Blake.
During the banquet, outgoing Parish Council
members, Lt. Col. Robert G. Lang, Jr., Richard
Sahagian and Armen Skenderian will be recognized for their services to the church.
For tickets, call the church office, email
office@htaac.org, or log onto www.htaac.org.